Council presses Irish Government to enact Occupied Territories Bill

A visibly moved Cllr Pat Murphy (Sinn Féin) has proposed that Derry City and Strabane District Council writes to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris “to demand the Irish Government fully enacts the Occupied Territories Bill”.

The Occupied Territories Bill is a proposed law that would ban and criminalise "trade with and economic support for illegal settlements in territories deemed occupied under international law”, most notably Israeli settlements in Israeli-occupied territories. Violators would face fines of up to €250,000 and up to five years in prison.

Speaking at March’s full Council meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Cllr Murphy said more than 800 people had died in the past week as Israel resumed its “murderous genocide on the citizens of Gaza”. 

“This is outrageous and a stain on humanity and decency,” he added. “The enablers and perpetrators of this genocide will not be judged kindly by history.”

“It is crucial this work [on the Occupied Territories Bill] begins to take shape.”

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Cllr Murphy also asked his colleagues in the chamber who would normally abstain from such votes to “take into account the blood of a Palestinian child runs as red as a child from anywhere else”.

“The grief of Palestinian parents is the same as the grief of any other person on the planet, So I think this is something that should unify us today and I would hope that everyone supports the proposal,” said Cllr Murphy. 

Supporting Cllr Murphy’s proposal, Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) said it was very disappointing to see Micheál Martin “grovelling at the feet of the tyrant Trump” in the White House recently.

He added: “A few days after that what was called a ceasefire in Gaza ended and Israel has killed up to 800 people this week and that was sickening.

“I also wanted to draw attention to the DUP’s visit [to the White House]. DUP representatives have said Donald Trump’s agenda is common sense and I just want to ask, what part of his agenda is common sense, his misogyny, his attacks on workers and trade unions, and his support for the slaughter in Gaza, for which the United States is now providing 80% of the weapons that are slaughtering people?” said Cllr Harkin.

Also supporting the motion, Cllr Catherine McDaid (SDLP) endorsed Cllr Murphy’s call for other members of the Council who “do normally abstain” to vote in favour.

“I just appeal to their human nature and think that if this was your child or this was your grandchild who was being brutally murdered and dying in front of your eyes, would you not want someone to be doing something about it,” said Cllr McDaid. 

Cllr Murphy’s proposal was passed in spite of members of the Unionist bloc abstaining and voting against.