Ireland will ban Israeli goods, not services, from occupied territories, Simon Harris says as Government waters down Bill

The article discusses the Irish Government's stance on the Occupied Territories Bill, originally proposed in 2018 to ban trade with illegally occupied territories, particularly related to Israeli settlements. While the Government previously committed to enacting the Bill following a UN advisory opinion, recent statements indicate a potential shift in approach, focusing on banning only goods rather than services. This concerns campaigners who believe that excluding services could dilute the Bill’s impact, as services represent a significant part of trade. Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed that the government plans to legislate only against goods from occupied territories.

Mr Harris said the Government will enact what is laid out in the programme for government, which commits to "progress legislation prohibiting goods from Occupied Palestinian Territories".

Campaigners behind the Bill expressed concern that this could see it being "watered down" - specifically, it could mean only the trading of goods is banned and not services.

Read at Irish Independent