Palestinian ambassador ‘still optimistic’ about Occupied Territories Bill

The Palestinian ambassador to Ireland has said she is inactive optimistic astir a projected prohibition connected commercialized with amerciable Israeli settlements.

The authorities had signalled earlier Christmas that the Occupied Territories Bill would beryllium passed erstwhile amendments are made to marque the draught instrumentality arsenic watertight arsenic possible, arsenic it is apt to beryllium legally challenged if enacted.

After the Christmas break, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it would suggest caller legislation, claiming the measure was “unconstitutional” and “deficient” successful immoderate areas.

The measure aims to prohibition trade, of some goods and services, with amerciable Israeli settlements connected Palestinian land.

Asked astir the proposition of caller authorities portion speaking astatine an lawsuit astatine the University of Galway, Palestinian Ambassador Dr Jilan Abdalmajid said she was “still optimistic” it would beryllium enacted.

She said that the reappraisal of the measure the authorities began, aft a determination by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) successful July past year, was “a very, precise bully and beardown move”.

“I’m inactive optimistic that it volition beryllium enacted here.

“I’m optimistic astir this due to the fact that the alteration of the authorities presumption towards this is precise affirmative and successful the close way,” she said.

Speaking astir the Palestinian cause, Ms Abdalmajid said they request to marque “a immense effort to marque the radical perceive to you”, Ireland excluded.

“We utilized to person large enactment successful Africa, but present the challenges successful Africa is huge,” she said.

She said the communicative of however Israel was formed successful the aftermath of the Second World War is good known, portion the Palestinian communicative “is not heard”.

She said if the ICJ ruling: “They springiness the guidelines connected however to halt this genocide, however to halt Israel from continuing not lone sidesplitting the Palestinian people, but occupying our land.

“So if you are superior astir helping the Palestinians, I deliberation the roadmap is precise clear.”

Asked astir what interaction Donald Trump’s presidency volition person for the Palestinian cause, she said: “It’s a precise hard question that, (for) immoderate politician, immoderate diplomat. It’s uncertainty. You cannot foretell what’s going to beryllium next.

“You know, helium has signed truthful galore resolutions, helium has signed truthful galore things, and from the archetypal day, galore ineligible actions has been taken, truthful things are not clear.”