Members of Cavan County Council are calling on the Irish Government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, to cut Irish trade ties with Israeli goods and services produced in these illegal settlements. A motion which was put forward by Sinn Fein's Stiofán Conaty, demanding that the Irish government enacts the Occupied Territories Bill was passed at yesterday's local authority meeting.
Cllr Conaty described yesterday's vote as "hugely significant." According to the local representative, the motion sends a "strong message" from Cavan County Council which reflects the deep support in Cavan for the Palestinian people. Following yesterday's vote, Cavan is now the 7th local authority to have called on An Taoiseach Simon Harris to enact the legislation. Speaking to Northern Sound, Cllr Conaty said it is "important" to hold Israel to account for its crimes against humanity. "The passing of this legislation would see a cessation of trade ties between Ireland and goods and services produced in illegally occupied lands around the world. Significantly, this would mean a boycott of goods and services produced by Israel on land belonging to the State of Palestine, which was recently officially recognised by the Irish state."
"This is long over due," explained Cllr Conaty. "This is a significant vote and while it might be in the grand scheme of things a small measure, bit by bit we can put the pressure on to first of all encourage other councils to enact similar motions that will call on the government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, and for once and for all hold Israel to account and let the world know that there are repercussions for brutality, for genocide, occupation and war crimes."
