Charles Ward TD tells Dáil he’s ‘happy’ to co-sign Occupied Territories Bill

100% Redress TD, Charles Ward told Dáil Éireann that he was “happy” to co-sign the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. 

Deputy Ward made the comments during a private members' motion on Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the prohibition of important goods.

The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 was first introduced by Senator Frances Black and other members of Seanad Éireann, proposed to give effect to the State’s obligations arising under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to ban trade in goods or services with an occupied territory.

In January 2018, the bill passed the first stage in the Seanad, and it passed the second stage in Dáil Éireann in January 2019, and has been at Dáil Committee Stage, without progress, for the intervening almost seven years.

READ NEXT: Former Pettigo Health Centre put up for auction in December

When speaking, Deputy Ward said: “I am happy to cosign and support this motion and its calls for the Government to urgently progress this Bill on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and include a ban on trade services.

“The information we receive about Palestine is unreliable and incomplete. As a result, people have been destroyed, their families wiped out, and ceasefire violations are occurring.

“What are we doing about this? The occupied territories Bill passed Second Stage in the Seanad in January 2019. It has been left on Committee Stage for seven years.

“We sat and allowed this conflict to escalate for seven years. We are meant to be doing something as a country, but we have done very little. The Government is to blame for that.”

Deputy Ward continued: “Israel must be held accountable for its actions and continuing violations. Passing the Occupied Territories Bill would send an important message that we will not stand by and allow genocide to be normalised. We must act today and every day. History will judge us on what we have done.

“The Minister of State said this was a fragile moment. It is a lot more than a fragile moment as far as I am concerned. Genocide is genocide and the Irish Government is afraid to say it. Israel is complicit in genocide. It is ridiculous that we sit here and have not passed the Occupied Territories Bill.”