Taoiseach hits back at US ambassador's 'vat of Guinness' comments over Occupied Territories Bill
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has hit back at claims from a senior Trump administration figure that the Government "fell into a vat of Guinness" when drawing up the Occupied Territories Bill.US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had posted on social media that Ireland should "sober up" and apologise to Israel for the bill's passage through the Oireachtas."Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?" Mr Huckabee said in the post. "It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up Ireland! Call [the Israel foreign ministry] and say you’re sorry!"Trade ban The bill will ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government said there is a narrow legal basis, based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements.The Government has said this is being done to comply with the International Court of Justice, which said last year that countries should "take steps to prevent trade or investment relations" that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.In response, Mr Martin said that he "rejects the comments made by the ambassador"."The situation is very serious in Gaza, including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed," he said."Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass.
"Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward."Mr Huckabee's criticism was echoed by others in the US, including the pro-Israel organisation, the Anti-Defamation League, which said it was "deeply concerned" about the bill, which will impact a small amount of trade.On Wednesday in the Seanad, Senator Michael McDowell roundly rejected all and any claims that the actions of Ireland, its Government, or its Houses of Parliament were motivated by, or amounted, to anti-semitism. Claims that Ireland’s position reflected anti-semitism, which he defined as hatred of Jews, were grossly defamatory and untrue. “Our position on Gaza is shared by many Israeli Jews, including a former Israeli prime minister.” Referring to the appearance of former deputy Alan Shatter at an Oireachtas committee, Mr McDowell cited a passage in a book written and published by Mr Shatter in which the former justice minister had claimed that an accusation of “arrogance” made against him by Willie O’Dea in the Dáil was an “anti-semitic” trope.“It is simply defamatory and untrue to assert that Ireland’s position on Gaza and recognition of the Palestinian state was motivated by anti-semitism or hatred of Jews.”
