Richard Boyd Barrett: Sanctions Bill and Ireland's Genocide Duty
Richard Boyd Barrett introduces the Sanctions Against the State of Israel Bill into the Dáil, urging the Government to act on its obligations under the Genocide Convention. He calls for comprehensive economic, financial and trade sanctions while arguing that services should not be included and that Ireland must also contribute to conflict resolution efforts.
Richard Boyd Barrett outlines the People Before Profit bill brought to the Dáil to prompt the Government to fulfil obligations under the Genocide Convention and related international law. He frames the legislation as a demand for comprehensive economic, financial and trade sanctions against a state he describes as guilty of genocidal actions.
Boyd Barrett stresses Ireland's legal commitments under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, and asks whether the Government will support the bill given those obligations.
The Bill and its aim
Richard Boyd Barrett outlines the People Before Profit bill brought to the Dáil to prompt the Government to fulfil obligations under the Genocide Convention and related international law. He frames the legislation as a demand for comprehensive economic, financial and trade sanctions against a state he describes as guilty of genocidal actions.
Legal obligations and international context
Boyd Barrett stresses Ireland's legal commitments under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, and asks whether the Government will support the bill given those obligations.
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Transcript
On Thursday, People Before Profit bring a bill, the Sanctions Against the State of Israel Bill into the Dáil, which asks the government to act on its obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent the commission of genocide by the State of Israel. It's an obligation we have and calls for comprehensive economic, financial and trade sanctions against a state that is guilty of genocidal actions. Are the government attending to support that bill, given you are signatories to the Genocide Convention and it also refers to our commitments under the Rome Statutes and other international legal obligations? What I would say is that the, in terms of, and I met President Aoun from Lebanon recently, he attended the informal, after the informal EU Council meeting, and he cited the Irish experience in terms of peace process, conflict resolution, as a basis as to how Lebanon, Israel could be resolved, and the Palestinian question also. And so we do want, that's the other side of the coin, we want to be part of solutions as well, we want to use our experience and conflict resolution to help in that regard. On the occupied territories, Bill, Minister, Deputy Mayor Mordechoui, Minister McEntee has engaged with the Attorney General on that, and you know, I've made it very clear, I don't believe services should be included in that bill, I think that would damage Ireland more than anybody. It's largely a symbolic bill, it will not have any practical significant impact on the ground, but nonetheless it will come before the House, but I just want to be, we need to be all honest and clear about that, and when there was detailed analysis done, I think about 190,000 worth of goods, Euros worth of goods is what's come in, others go through Antwerp and don't come directly into the country when you analyse it. So anyway, that's, but there's a lot of work has been done on that and the Minister will come back to the House in respect of it. But at the European Union level, the real push is to see can we suspend the Trade Association Agreement.