Early this afternoon, People Before Profit-Solidarity will introduce its Sanctions Against Israel Bill 2025 in the Dáil. The purpose of the Bill is to impose comprehensive economic sanctions on Israel to force an end to its crimes of genocide and apartheid.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said, “The time for treating Israel as if it is a normal state has long passed. For decades Israel has been guilty of illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, apartheid against the Palestinian people and over the past two years in Gaza, the most henious crime of all, genocide.
“Netanyahu, leading Ministers, military and media figures in Israel do not even hide their genocidal intent and publicly declare their intention to erase Palestine from the map and forever deny Palestinians their most fundamental human and political rights.
“Israel has been allowed by the western powers to do all of this with complete impunity. More than that, the western powers have enabled Israel through providing decades of political cover, favoured trade status and arms supplies on a colossal scale - and enough arms to carry out a genocide in Gaza. The decades of crimes against the Palestinian people would have been stopped long ago if the west, including Ireland, had sanctioned Israel instead of enabling it.
“The Occupied Territories Bill is important and we continue to press for its implementation. But it is a very limited step that is confined to trade with the illegally occupied territories only. Our Sanctions Against Israel Bill 2025 goes much further, to call for a complete ban on all trade and economic relations with any part of Israel.
“The Bill calls for a ban on the import and export of goods and technology; on business dealings such as ownership of property or of businesses; on lending and on dealing in financial products such as shares and bonds issued by the state of Israel.
"We believe the bill is fully in line with our duties and obligations under the genocide convention and international law”.
Deputy Paul Murphy said “The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remains horrific. This year there has been a record number of home demolitions, settler attacks, and orders for new illegal settlement construction. The so-called peace in Gaza is breached by Israel daily, with widespread Israeli bombing and hundreds killed since ‘peace’ was announced.
“In introducing this Bill, People Before Profit is acting upon Palestinian civil society’s longstanding call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel until its crimes end.
“The comprehensive economic sanctions proposed in our Bill are a crucial measure to ensure Israel faces consequences for its campaign of genocide; to ensure its violent occupation is ended; and to ensure its apartheid system is dismantled”.
“Action is long overdue, we want comprehensive sanctions now.”