Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator Black and her colleagues on bringing forward this Bill. As has been pointed out, it is not about two countries but rather an illegally occupied area. I do not necessarily condemn everything done by Israel as it is entitled to protect itself. It has rockets coming over the border from Hamas but the response is sometimes above and beyond anything that would be expected. For all intents and purposes, Israel has destroyed Gaza.

The bottom line is that Israel is in area where it should not be and products from any economic activity generated from that area should not be purchased by people in the European Union. Senator Black's Bill would not send shockwaves through the Israeli Government or its people but it might provide a lead for the rest of the European Union to follow. It is only through action like this that one can get some sort of reaction from a state that has lost the run of itself. We are talking about the breaching of international law. I support Senator Black on this. While I do not intend to speak to the Bill again, I support it in its entirety.