Occupied Territories Bill: Campaigners won’t stop until the ban includes services.

The “Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill” of Ireland was first introduced in 2018. 

The Occupied Territories Bill would officially prohibit corporations in Ireland from conducting trade with all illegally occupied territories, including Israeli settlements in the West Bank. If passed, the bill would bar the import of goods and services produced – in whole or in part – in illegal settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory. 

Though the bill initially stalled after its introduction, it has gained renewed interest in light of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, with Irish lawmakers arguing that barring trade with illegal settlements is a necessary step to comply with international law. The bill would not result in a boycott of Israel. It would specifically target trade of goods and services with illegal settlement-based companies.

The government has faced consistent criticism from opposition parties and pro-Palestine campaign groups for failing to pass Black’s version of the Occupied Territories bill, which was first introduced in 2018. 

The heads – a summary of each section of the legislation – are already at an advance stage and will be published in the coming weeks.T The heads will be sent to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs for discussion before the end of June. 

At that stage, campaigners are expected to press for the inclusion of services in the bill, which would extend the scope of the legislation considerably.

The Government has cited constitutional and EU legal concerns as reasons for the delay, particularly regarding the inclusion of services in the trade ban. However, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman has challenged this, stating that the Attorney General did not raise issues with banning services from illegal Israeli settlements.

Opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, have called for the immediate enactment of the OTB, emphasising the urgency of the situation in Gaza. Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has also brought forward a bill focusing on the Central Bank of Ireland’s facilitation of the sale of Israeli bonds. It is titled the ‘Israeli Genocide Bonds’ bill.

The bill’s legal foundation is bolstered by a 2024 ICJ advisory opinion, which urges nations to prevent trade that supports illegal settlements. Over 400 Irish legal professionals and academics recently signed an open letter to the Government asserting that the legislation could include provisions related to services: 

“We do not consider there to be any insurmountable legal obstacles, in either Irish, European or international law, preventing the adoption of legislation prohibiting the import of goods and services produced in the unlawful Israeli settlements in the West Bank. We consider this is the absolute minimum required from the State to comply with its international legal obligations and the holdings of the International Court of Justice.”

In a legal opinion commissioned by campaigners last year, Professor Takis Tridimas, an expert in EU law at Matrix Chambers in London, found that prohibitions on services could be permitted under EU law on grounds of public policy.

His opinion was later cited by Attorney General Rossa Fanning in updated legal advice which permitted the Government to perform a U-turn on the bill.

Public support for the bill remains strong, with demonstrations across the country and widespread calls for the government to act decisively.

Additionally, a young Irish woman, Sophie Ní Choimín, has begun a hunger strike, vowing not to eat until the OTB becomes law and aid reaches children in Gaza.

Oxfam Ireland has consistently advocated for the swift enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill. At the end of January 2025, Oxfam Ireland CEO Jim Clarken urged the government to publish the new legislation without delay, stating:

"Ireland must honour its legal and moral obligations. The Irish people stand firmly with Palestine, and we want no hand, act, or part in illegal settlements."