Boylan accuses Government of 'cop out' on Occupied Territories and Israeli bonds bills

BreakingNews.ie

02-06-2025

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has accused the Government of a "cop out" on the Occupied Territories Bill and her party's
Israeli bonds bill.
TDs voted 87-75 against a motion brought by Sinn Féin to force the Irish Central Bank to end its role in facilitating the 'Israeli war bonds' in the EU on Wednesday.
Advertisement
While the Government is proceeding with the Occupied Territories Bill, some opposition politicians have criticised the fact that services will be excluded from it.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Ms Boylan said: "People are dying, almost 100 people are dying every single day, and children are starving to death and the Irish government has leverage which it is refusing to use.
"I do appreciate the fact that Ireland recognised the state of Palestine and that was a very important step. It was good that they wrote and asked for a review of the EU Israel Association Agreement, but again that was February. So over a year ago, and now we're only seeing action on that, and it's not even being suspended. It's pending the review.
We need to stop the killing. We need to stop the slaughter.
"We need to stop the killing. We need to stop the slaughter. And that means using whatever leverage each member State has. You're not going to get a consensus at an EU level. That's very, very clear after 19 months. It's not going to happen. So take the unilateral measures. You're covered under international law to do that. And and that's where Israel will sit up and listen."
Advertisement
Sinn Féin's bill
would have given the Finance Minister the power to stop the Irish Central Bank from facilitating the sale of Israeli government bonds across the EU.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe described it as "unworkable".
Ms Boylan accused the Government of hiding behind the EU, and compared it to the State going against the EU in the Applex tax case.
'Cynical'
"I also find it really cynical of the government to hide behind that as an excuse because we're regularly taken to court by the EU for not being compliant and there's no issue. We were taken to court over the Apple tax, we vigorously defended that.
Advertisement
"If the genocide happening was important enough for the Irish Government, I think the general public are saying 'well then take on the EU and wait and see if the EU will take this to court,' I don't believe they would because I don't believe the EU has a leg to stand on legally."
The Occupied Territories Bill will ban imports originating from the Palestinian Territories that are illegaly occupied by Israel under international law, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
However, the bill the Government are considering differs from the initial bill put forward by Senator Frances Black, as it will not ban trade in services with the Occupied Territories.
"The ICJ Occupied Territories ruling has decided those territories are occupied illegally.
Advertisement
"On the ICJ ruling, every state should take measures to prevent the genocide from happening. That means not providing financial assistance in any way, including economic trade. So I would say to them put it up to the EU, use it as an excuse to take them on and go 'OK, well, we're not going to be the ones on the wrong side of history'.
"I think the the watering down of the Occupied Territories Bill is to make sure that it is more or less a symbolic bill which is deeply disappointing. Seventy per cent of trade is in services.
"The ICJ ruling was clear. It's economic trade, they made no distinction between trade and goods and trade and services so it is a cop out on the part of the Government. Not only have they delayed and stalled this bill, they've now made sure it's as ineffective as they possibly can. It has been described as symbolic."
In a recent speech in the European Parliament, Ms Boylan made an apology to the people of Gaza for EU "inaction".
Advertisement
It went viral, and Ms Boylan said she was surprised by the huge response to her words.
Lynn Boylan's recent 'apology' speech to Gaza went viral.
"I've had messages from across the world and I've never had that on the back of speeches. But I don't mean just messages on social media, people actually taking the time to send you an e-mail or people who know me saying they passed it on to work colleagues.
"The thing is that they wanted somebody to say that they're sorry because they're marching, they're doing everything and none of it seems to be having any impact. I think it's sort of tapped into the emotions that people are feeling, that feeling of comple helplessness and despair at what's happening.
"It's not having the impact on our politicians. That is why I felt that frustration that I just may want to make an apology because the role I have as chair of of the European Parliament Delegation to Palestine, I'm meeting with Palestinian solidarity groups, I'm meeting with groups that are in Gaza on the ground and I've literally nothing positive to say to them anymore because everything we have tried has just been stonewalled. I was just overwhelmed by the reaction to it, to be honest.
"It's just soul destroying, because what is the red line anymore?
"The control or the influence that Israel has over the Western world, that they're just allowing international law to be shredded in front of our eyes and war crimes to be committed and to do nothing. You have to question the long-term impacts of this, both for the European Union, for democracy, for people, humanity, it is all being called into question because of what we're seeing."