In response to US reversal on settlements, IPSC calls for Irish ban on settlement trade
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned the Trump administration’s statement that the United States will no longer consider Israeli colonial settlements in Palestine to be illegal. The Palestinian rights advocacy organisation further called on the Irish government to move beyond mere condemnations and act to ban trade with the illegal settlements by supporting Frances Black’s Occupied Territories Bill.
IPSC Chairperson, Ms. Fatin Al Tamimi, said “This statement has zero legal validity under international law, and flies in the face of the long-established view held by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the European Union, the Irish government and every major human rights organisation which view these settlements as not only illegal, but war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.
“It is clear that the Trump-Netanyahu axis of racism seeks to impose a totally illegal ‘solution’ upon the Palestinian people, but it is very important that we understand that this statement will not only serve to bolster the Apartheid state of Israel’s false claim to Palestinian lands colonised after 1967, it gives the green light for yet more ethnic cleansing and colonisation.
“We are glad to see the widespread rejection of this latest anti-Palestinian manoeuvre by an increasingly dangerous US presidency, but mere words are not enough. Time is running out for the Palestinian people, and immediate and robust action is needed to end the impunity that the Apartheid state of Israel continues to enjoy.
“We call on the Irish government, which has stated its opposition to the US move, to cease trying to use the ‘money message’ to block the passage of Frances Black’s Occupied Territories Bill which seeks to ban trade with illegal settlements. We also call on the government to push for a similar ban at EU level. Enough with the hand wringing and statements of concern – it is time for action, before it is too late” Ms. Tamimi concluded.
We encourage our supporters to continue to put pressure on the Irish government to support the Occupied Territories Bill by writing to local TDs and Ministers.