Amnesty International say there is "no real evidence that Ireland will pay a heavy price" for the Occupied Territories Bill

Amnesty International said there is "no real evidence that Ireland will pay a heavy price" for the proposed Occupied Territories Bill.

The Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 would make any import from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine an offence under the Customs Act 2015. Representatives of international NGOs, businesses and lobby groups discussed the Occupied Territories Bill in the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday.

Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, spoke in favour of the bill, saying that while it could come at "some cost" to Ireland, it will be worth it.

"Based on what I was told, the assessment of the cost is that it will be minimal,” Callamard told the Committee.

“I felt that there was a prudent recognition that the cost could be handled...That it is not something that will be a determining factor.”

Among the countries Amnesty International has met with in regard to Israel's occupation of Gaza, Callamard said Ireland has stood out.

"The Irish government is probably the leading government, with Spain, around the world, not just the western world, in terms of the action it has taken," Callamard said.

Fergal O'Brien, executive director of lobbying and influence for Ibec, said to the Committee that implementing the ban would be "incredibly difficult" and if the bill were to be expanded to include services, identifying such services would be "incredibly hard".

The bill was discussed yesterday in the Dáil. Conor Sheehan TD said that domestic and international entities are attempting to pressure the Government to reject the bill. He cited U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee's recent X post criticising the bill as confirmation that it should be passed.

"The fact that Mike Huckabee, a horrible racist, accused the Irish of falling into a vat of Guinness makes me more resolute that we are doing the right thing," Sheehan said.

"I ask the Tánaiste to make it clear that the Government will not capitulate on the inclusion of services in the occupied territories Bill and that we can come back here and sit in August to finally pass this legislation."

In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris said he met with the U.S. ambassador to Ireland earlier this week to discuss a variety of issues in a respectful exchange. He said that the committee should consider all possible views and ensure all aspects of the bill are properly considered before making a decision.

Poll results released today seem to reflect the Tánaiste's view of the Occupied Territories Bill, with a majority of survey respondents saying that the Government should investigate possible consequences for Ireland before passing the bill.

The poll, conducted by The Irish Times in collaboration with market research company Ipsos B&A, found that only 10% or respondents directly oppose passing the bill, while 20% say the bill in its current form should be passed quickly and 14% say the bill should be expanded to include both goods and services and passed quickly.

The bill is currently up for debate in the Committee, and will be debated in the Dáil later in the autumn.