A group of United States congressional representatives have written to the Taoiseach to warn of the damage to Irish-US relations if the Government proceeds with the Occupied Territories Bill.
The US campaign against the promised Oireachtas legislation – due to be debated by the Dáil in the coming weeks – is ramping up.
Their letter to Micheál Martin, the latest effort from a US campaign against the Bill that is gathering support in Washington DC, warns the measures in the proposed legislation will damage US companies in Ireland and harm economic ties between the two countries.
“As friends of Ireland and strong advocates for a close relationship between Ireland and the United States, we write to express our deep concern over Ireland’s one-sided approach to Israel, a vital ally of the United States,” the letter states.
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The congressmen and women are critical of the Occupied Territories Bill, but also of Ireland’s calls for the International Court of Justice to redefine genocide standards, which they say would “target Israel”.
“The proposed legislation represents a discriminatory move by Ireland to economically target Israel and demonise the world’s only Jewish state,” the letter, signed by 23 congressmen and women, says.
It also warns that the Bill “threatens to inflict real harm on American companies operating in Ireland. If enacted, it would put US firms in direct conflict with federal and state-level antiboycott laws in the US, forcing them into an impossible legal position and jeopardising their ability to do business in Ireland.
“Therefore, were it to pass this Bill, Ireland would risk causing significant damage to its own economic credibility and partnerships with American commerce.”
Democratic congressman Josh Gottheimer said: “Ireland’s efforts to single out Israel with this one-sided legislation and trying to rewrite international law to target the world’s only Jewish state will only empower Hamas terrorists and embolden anti-Semitism around the world.
“I’m proud to be leading this bipartisan effort urging Ireland to withdraw these dangerous proposals. The US-Ireland relationship has always been rooted in shared democratic values – we cannot let discriminatory, biased actions threaten that bond.”
The letter, led by Mr Gottheimer, is also signed by representatives Gus Bilirakis, Don Bacon, Buddy Carter, Elijah Crane, Randy Fine, Charles Fleischmann, Virginia Foxx, Andrew Garbarino, Jeff Hurd, Thomas Kean, Mark Messmer, Max Miller, Barry Moore, John Rose, Pete Stauber, Ann Wagner, Daniel Webster, Robert Wittman, Scott Franklin, Ronny Jackson, Mike Lawler, and Barry Loudermilk.
The Government is committed to proceeding with the Bill, which bans the import of goods produced in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, though there are fears within Government of economic consequences, not least because of the campaign against it in the US.
One US source with knowledge of the issue said: “This letter is very clear evidence of growing opposition in the US Congress to the proposed boycott legislation and Ireland’s approach to Israel generally.
“It is a telling sign of an emerging serious rift in Irish-US relations, one that may well have major long-term implications for the relationship.”
The Attorney General is current examining whether services can be brought under the ambit of the Bill. Though it had been previously ruled out, the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee recommended the inclusion of services in a report issued during summer.
However, the US source said: “From the US point of view there is no difference seen between boycotting just goods, versus both goods and services, either politically or legally.”
