Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, called on the Irish government to move forward with the Occupied Territories bill, which would prohibit imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In support of the bill, Callamard stated:

The bill would be a powerful, much-needed tool for international justice and must be strengthened to include banning all imports and exports of goods and services to and from Israeli settlements in illegally occupied Palestinian territory, as well as investments in them.

The Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) bill has sought to align Ireland’s trade policies with international humanitarian law by banning imports from settlements deemed illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Callamard’s visit comes in the wake of the European Union’s recent decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which the EU had been reviewing since May of this year, in response to concerns over Israel’s compliance with human rights and democratic principles. Callamard called for the bill’s expansion to include a ban on services and investments related to illegal settlements, aligning with the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion on Israel’s prolonged occupation.

Despite international support for Palestinian rights, the bill faces considerable opposition. US officials have reportedly warned Dublin about potential diplomatic and economic consequences should the legislation pass. Callamard, creating a distinction between OTB, which relates only to the prohibition of trade with occupied properties, and the US federal law that prohibits the boycott of trade with Israel, said that the US might make threats, but does not have the legal tools to enforce its “bullying.”

Ireland’s leading business lobby group, Ibec, has also criticized the bill. In a statement to The Irish Times, Ibec’s director Danny McCoy dismissed it as “symbolism and moral positioning,” arguing that it could jeopardize Ireland’s trade relationships and introduce legal complexities under EU trade rules. While initial support for the bill was strong, concerns over economic fallout and international backlash appear to be tempering public enthusiasm.

If passed, Ireland would become the first EU member state to legislate against imports from illegal Israeli settlements.