Irish Senate Backs Bill Banning Trade with Israeli Settlements, Tel Aviv Summons Ireland Envoy

TEHRAN (Defapress)- The proposed law - passed 25 to 20 - to make it an offence to trade in such goods and services was introduced by an independent senator and drew support from all Ireland's major political parties except the governing Fine Gael party.

The bill will now go to the lower house of parliament for a debate and vote. If passed, the bill will have to go through several more stages of review and amendment before it is signed into a law.

Saeb Erekat, senior leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organistion, called the move by Ireland's upper house, Senead, "historic" and urge other countries to do the same.

"Today the Irish Senate has sent a clear message to the international community and particularly to the rest of the European Union: the mere talking about the two-state solution is not enough without taking concrete measures," Erekat said in a statement, adding that "those trading with Israeli settlements are complicit in the systematic denial of the Palestinian right to self-determination".

There are 150 illegal Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank home to about 750,000 settlers.

The "Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018" was put forward by Irish independent Senator Frances Black and co-signed by Senators Alice-Mary Higgins, Lynn Ruane, Colette Kelleher, John G Dolan, Grace O'Sullivan and David Norrison on January 24 this year.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the vote would have "a negative impact on the diplomatic process in the Middle East".

"The absurd in the Irish Senate's initiative is that it will harm the livelihoods of many Palestinians who work in the Israeli industrial zones affected by the boycott," he stated, adding that "Israel will consider its response in accordance with developments regarding the legislation".

Israel has also summoned Ireland’s ambassador over the country’s passing of legislation banning the import of goods made in Israeli settlements.

“The Irish Senate has given its support to a populist, dangerous and extremist anti-Israel boycott initiative that hurts the chances of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians; it will have a negative impact on the diplomatic process in the Middle East,” according to a statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

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