Ireland's 'Failure' to Sanction Israel: A Global Exception?
Mainstream media frames Catherine Connolly's critique as an 'attack' on Dublin for its inaction on sanctioning Israeli settlements, protesting Israel's military campaign in Gaza (Al-Monitor via Reuters). This carefully omits that Ireland's Dáil Éireann already passed the Occupied Territories Bill in 2018, banning trade with illegal settlements—a bill widely praised but persistently stalled by
successive Irish governments. One might wonder what makes Irish politicians hesitate when civilian deaths mount. While Washington (and its media proxies) decry 'foreign influence' when it suits them, here we see a democratic process trying to uphold international law. The concern that 'big U.S. companies' might pressure Dublin sounds awfully familiar. Imagine if US politicians faced similar
scrutiny for foreign lobbying dollars; say, the $450,000 AIPAC funneled to Rep. Steny Hoyer in 2022, shortly before his vocal support for increased aid to Israel. Funny how that 'pressure' only counts one way.