Protestors rally at the Dáil to demand "far greater action" on Occupied Territories Bill

Over 100 protestors gathered outside the Dáil last night to demand the inclusion of services in the Occupied Territories Bill after the Government said it still needs "legal clarity" on the matter.

The Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 would make any import of goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine an offence under the Customs Act 2015.

In a Dáil debate yesterday morning, a coalition of left opposition parties and independents presented a joint motion calling for the Bill to be amended to include a ban on services and to be passed before the end of the year.

Thomas Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the Government has "no policy issue regarding the inclusion of services" but that "legal clarity" is needed. Newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee was absent from the debate.

The motion was passed by the Dáil but some from the left opposition accused the government of refusing to commit to following through with the demands.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy was one of the original proposers of the motion and a featured speaker at the protest. He told Hot Press the motion calls for "two very simple things" but that "the Government is trying to water [the Bill] down."

"What we saw this morning was the most cynical, cowardly approach of the government," Murphy said.

"They allowed the motion to pass, so now the official position of the Dáil is to say the Bill should be passed before Christmas and should include services. And yet the Government, at the same time, is refusing to give a commitment to do either of those things.

"So really, it was just a cynical ploy to avoid going against public opinion because the truth is, they are under massive pressure not to pass it. That pressure is coming from the US administration. [The Irish government] doesn't want to annoy Donald Trump or US big business, and that's why they're prepared to water down what is already an extremely limited piece of legislation."

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Dublin Central representative for People Before Profit, said he was present for the introduction of the Bill in 2018 when he says its current state "would have been an acceptable first step."

"By now, we need far greater action," Ó Ceannabháin said.

"We need full sanctions on Israel. A lot of people don't realise that the Occupied Territories Bill is just sanctions on the illegal settlements in the West Bank. It's just a start. We are absolutely for passing this legislation, but the government won't even do that. We need this bill passed, and then we need to move on to full sanctions on Israel and total isolation of Israel."

Adrian Kane, divisional head at the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), said many members of his union attended the protest to raise awareness in the midst of Israel's violations of the ceasefire deal signed last month.

"It's been eight years since Seanadóir Frances Black first raised this bill in Dáil and we're no further on enacting it," Kane said.

"Now, what's happened since the ceasefire has come into place is that a thin veil has been drawn which has allowed the world to look away as the slow genocide continues on. We need to ensure that Israel doesn't get away with this. This Bill is a minimal step towards that, and that's why a lot of people from SIPTU are here this evening."

Kane said that while government officials need to take initiative to pass the Bill, effective organising by the public is also necessary for change.

"There's an awful lot of good will out there amongst trade union members and amongst the public in general, but we need to ensure that we organise ourselves in a way that is effective," Kane said.

"When you're taking on the might of an imperial power like Israel, like America, that means the people power has to be very, very effective. Trade unions are good at organising, and that's the kind of work that we're involved in."

Activist Ger Power went a step further, suggesting, "We have to get rid of the present Government."

"They're so pro-Israel in what they do," Power said.

"What they say isn't but what they do is so pro-Israel. They're so afraid of the US that until we get rid of the present government, I think nothing will change."

Power visited occupied Palestine earlier this year as part of an international humanitarian mission to assist Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest.

She described seeing Israeli soldiers beat unarmed farmers and said the clean water supply in one farming community was turned into a swimming pool by Israeli soldiers.

"After being there in Palestine, I feel despair with my government, with everything," Power said.

"I try to go to at least three solidarity events a week, which means a lot to me. If I didn't go, I probably couldn't live with myself because of the atrocities that are happening that I have witnessed firsthand. Our government has no respect, not even enough to pass this Bill. I couldn't not be here."

At the time of writing, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee has not commented since the protest.