THE Irish Ambassador to Israel has been “reprimanded” by the Israeli foreign ministry over legislation which seeks to ban Israeli goods produced in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

This week the Dáil passed the Occupied Territories bill, originally proposed by Independent Senator Frances Black, and backed by Fianna Fáil and opposition parties.

The Government has opposed the legislation and warned that it contravenes EU law as well as putting US investment here at risk.

Speaking in the Dáil this week Tánaiste Simon Coveney said that despite being well intentioned, the proposed law "will do serious damage to Ireland and bring only momentary consolation to Palestinian citizens".

In a statement on Friday the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem said it had “summoned” Irish ambassador Alison Kelly and she was “reprimanded for the outrageous legislative initiative”.

The impact of the proposed law on Ireland-Israel relations was outlined at the meeting.

A statement from the ministry said: “At the meeting it was made clear to the ambassador that the hypocritical and anti-Semitic legislation will have severe ramifications on Israel-Ireland relations and Ireland’s standing in the region should the legislation be promoted”.

The statement went on to claim “It would be better if Ireland confronted dictatorships and terrorist organizations rather than Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.”

In a statement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the legislation as a “disgrace”.

“Instead of condemning Syria for slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians, Turkey for the occupation of northern Cyprus, and terrorist organizations for murdering thousands of Israelis, Ireland attacks Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. What a disgrace,” he said in a statement released via official social media.

A spokesperson for the DFA said: "Ambassador Kelly was asked to go in to the Israeli Foreign Ministry this morning. An officer of the Europe Directorate conveyed the Israeli Government’s views on the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill.

"Ambassador Kelly conveyed the position of the Irish Government in opposing the Bill."

Online Editors