Irish senators on Wednesday passed a bill to ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

Frances Black, the singer and independent politician who sponsored the bill, tweeted that the vote was “a first step, but an important one.”

“Today we state strongly: Ireland will always stand for international humanitarian law, justice and human rights,” Black added.

Passed! Thank you for all the messages of support.. this is a first step, but an important one. Today we state strongly: Ireland will always stand for int humanitarian law, justice & human rights. Onwards.👍 pic.twitter.com/dO23n3T8ag — Frances Black (@frances_black) July 11, 2018

The Occupied Territories Bill passed by 25-20 votes in the Seanad, the upper house of Oireachtas, Ireland’s parliament.

It will have to pass several more stages in the Seanad and the lower house, the Dáil, before it can take effect as law.

YOU DID IT! Irish Seanad votes in favour of @frances_black's Occupied Territories Bill! The Bill now moves to the committee stage, the next step on it's journey toward becoming law. #BanSettlementGoods #Palestine #EndImpunity https://t.co/YgbKuvQMzd pic.twitter.com/2rDOwd1sA1 — IPSC (@ipsc48) July 11, 2018

The bill’s passage had been expected after Fianna Fáil, Ireland’s main opposition party, announced earlier this month that it would back the bill.

The Green Party, the Labour Party, Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and independent lawmakers are also supporting the legislation. The bill is opposed by the ruling Fine Gael party.

Delighted to see @frances_black #Palestine #SettlementGoods bill pass #Seanad 2nd stage just now by 25:20 - proud to support it for @labour — Ivana Bacik (@ivanabacik) July 11, 2018

The Occupied Territories Bill is currently in the Seanad at 2nd stage.



This is the time for action and to make history. We have a duty to condemn Israel’s illegal occupation and aggression against the Palestinian people.



Sinn Féin are proud to support this legislation @NiallSF pic.twitter.com/Jtw74zOpgi — Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) July 11, 2018

Some photos of the meeting I hosted yesterday in Crumlin in support of @frances_black Occupied Territories Bill 2018. pic.twitter.com/9U4JNwRjmc — Joan Collins T.D. (@JoanCollinsTD) July 11, 2018

The Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign praised the work of all the activists, trade union and civil society groups that backed the bill, particularly Sadaka which helped draft it.

Irish people “can be proud”

Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon claimed that the Irish senate had “given its support to a populist, dangerous and extremist anti-Israel boycott initiative that hurts the chances of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.”

The Irish Senate has given its support to a populist, dangerous and extremist anti - Israel boycott initiative that hurts the chances of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians; it will have a negative impact on the diplomatic process in the Middle East. @IsraelinIreland — Emmanuel Nahshon (@EmmanuelNahshon) July 11, 2018

Israel will fear that if Ireland imposes consequences for its unchecked violations of international law, other countries may follow.

Israel summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv in protest.

“The Irish people can be proud that the Irish Seanad today took a brave step in leading the way in the fight against apartheid,” Shawan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian human rights group Al Haq stated.

"The Irish people can be proud that the Irish Seanad today took a brave step in leading the way in the fight against apartheid, raising the highest word of international law and the culture of justice and human rights..." Full statement: https://t.co/BcxxfaYiw5 🇮🇪🇵🇸 — Al-Haq الحق (@alhaq_org) July 11, 2018

Jabarin expressed confidence that the bill would become law and hope that other European countries would follow. “It is time to end the culture of impunity,” Jabarin added.

“Clear hypocrisy”

The morning of the vote, Black urged support for the bill in an article for The Irish Times.

“There is a clear hypocrisy here – how can we condemn the settlements as ‘unambiguously illegal,’ as theft of land and resources, but happily buy the proceeds of this crime?” the senator stated.

She also recounted how on her recent visit to Palestine she had seen the devastating impact of Israeli colonization on Palestinian freedom of movement, housing and healthcare.

“I witnessed the crushing indignity of a Palestinian community cut off from their water supply so that it could be diverted to an Israeli chicken farm,” Black wrote.

“Is the moral response to condemn the illegality, but then ask how much for the eggs?” Black asked.

Black contested objections that her bill could violate European Union trade laws.

“In many ways this legal back-and-forth reminds me of the brave Dunnes Stores workers in the 1980s, and concerns that banning produce from apartheid South Africa could upset [European] rules.”

Workers at the Dunne’s supermarket chain mounted an epic strike in support of a colleague, Mary Manning, suspended for refusing to handle goods from South Africa.

That battle helped galvanize support for the anti-apartheid movement in Ireland.

“Ultimately, Ireland was willing to show leadership on that issue – to make the case internationally and chart a path for others to follow,” Black wrote. “The same applies today: we have the legal capacity to pursue this, if the political will is there.”

Human Rights Watch has said that settlement businesses “unavoidably contribute to Israeli policies that dispossess and harshly discriminate against Palestinians, while profiting from Israel’s theft of Palestinian land and other resources.”

There is a growing consensus among international jurists that doing business with Israeli settlements is illegal, and Amnesty International has called on governments to impose a ban.

If the Occupied Territories Bill becomes law, Ireland would be the first European country to do so.

The night before Wednesday’s vote, Black welcomed to Ireland two Palestinian farmers, Mona and Fayez al-Taneeb who have been “fighting against the demolition of their farm and the confiscation of their land by a commercial Israeli settlement.”

At Black’s invitation, the couple were invited to the Irish parliament to watch the historic vote.