‘How dare you’: Alan Shatter criticised in committee on Israeli settlements bill

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Former justice minister Alan Shatter has been criticised for comparing a ban on trade with Israeli settlements to the TV show Father Ted.

Ex-Fine Gael TD Mr Shatter opposes the Government’s draft law banning trade with Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands that have been deemed illegal by the UN’s top court.

He repeatedly described it as a “Father Ted” measure and compared it to Jews being targeted during the Second World War.

The bill banning the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land is progressing through the Oireachtas.

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 (ICJ), which said last year that countries should “take steps to prevent trade or investment relations” that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

The bill is before the Foreign Affairs Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny, and is hearing evidence from expert witnesses.

Israeli, Palestinian and Jewish representatives, including Mr Shatter, appeared before TDs and senators on Tuesday.

Representing the Ireland Israel Alliance, Mr Shatter said the bill was “based on falsehoods” and “abandons all lessons learned in our own peace process”.

He said a lack of definition for “originated” in the bill “creates a myriad of difficulties”.

He suggested the bill could create “potential chaos and bureaucracy” at airports and ports for tourists and residents arriving in Ireland, and suggested it could affect the free movement of goods with Northern Ireland.

“The bill is the first initiative of any European government to enact legislation to intentionally boycott and discriminate against Jews since the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945,” he said.

Committee member Brian Brennan said that he had met seriously injured and orphaned Gazans as well as “hardened” charities in Cairo at the weekend.

“I went and I sat on a bed with a young man that was in the prime of his life and has two months to live because of what’s happening in Gaza,” the Fine Gael TD for Wexford-Wicklow said.

“I played football with teenage kids that are orphans because of what’s happening in Gaza.

“I held the hand of a two-year-old child that had bullet wounds because of what’s happening in Gaza.

“How dare you come in here and make such statements as ‘a Father Ted bill’?”

Responding, Mr Shatter said the bill was “a thing of complete irrelevance” to peace and did not deal “with the lives of people”.

“What you’re doing is trying to ban the importation of a small amount of olives and avocados from the West Bank of East Jerusalem, the total value of which, over five years, came to €685,000.”

Mr Shatter also said the “antisemitic symbolism” of the bill was “reinforced” by no other ban in place for other occupied territories, though there are EU economic restrictions in place for Russian-occupied Crimea.

Chairman of the committee John Lahart said that the Government’s and committee members’ position on Palestine was motivated by “the descent by the Israeli government and the Israeli Defence Forces into the darkest of places”.

He rejected that it was coming from an “antisemitic perspective” and called that suggestion “hugely hurtful, hugely offensive and slanderous”.

He told Mr Shatter: “You won’t find antisemitism here, and you would do this country, which you love, and we all love – a great favour by promulgating that view as widely and as strongly as you possibly can.”

Mr Shatter responded and said this was “the perception the bill internationally creates”.

Mr Lahart said: “So what I’m saying to you, former member Mr Shatter, is this. You’re influential.

“You haven’t found that view here; you found a committee motivated by purely humanitarian motives.

“I can’t influence you one way or the other, but as chair of the committee, I would implore you, if nothing else, to take that on board when you leave today.”

Earlier, Tánaiste Simon Harris responded to Mr Shatter’s Father Ted reference by saying there was nothing humorous about the killing of children in Gaza.

Mr Harris told Newstalk radio that the Government can differentiate between a people and their government, and that the actions of the Israeli government are “despicable”.

“I deplore antisemitism, so does everybody in this country, but you know what, I take views of one of the highest courts in the world much more seriously.”

He referred to the ICJ opinion and said the EU is recognising that member states can enact domestic legislation in relation to it.

“People in Ireland want to do everything we can to try and see a ceasefire, see humanitarian aid flow and see a two-state solution,” Mr Harris said.

“There’s nothing funny or humorous about genocide, and there’s nothing humorous or funny about children queuing in Gaza today for food and water who are at risk of being shot dead by the IDF.

“There’s a genocide happening in (Gaza), references to Father Ted and the likes, they might be humorous soundbites, but there’s nothing funny about the slaughter of children.”