Ms Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh:

Indeed. The court concluded that Israel's actions, policies and practices in the occupied territories do breach Article 3 of CERD, which itself prohibits racial segregation and apartheid. While it is the first time the court has concluded this, it is worth underscoring that the committee itself has determined since at least 2012 that Israel's actions in the West Bank amount to apartheid. This is the view that has been long held by not only Palestinian NGOs but also international NGOs, including, most extensively, Amnesty International, which produced a report in 2022. They have all found Israel to be imposing an apartheid system on the Palestinians. This is necessarily something that falls to be considered when Ireland is considering legislation around trade with Israel.