Government continues to drag its feet on Occupied Territories Bill

Sir, – With France and Sweden pushing for the EU to increase trade tariffs on goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank, the Irish Government continues to drag its feet in passing the Occupied Territories Bill.

As the economic concerns caused by the illegal war waged by the US and Israel against Iran make bold headlines every day, Ireland needs to show its support for Palestinians and the people of south Lebanon by not allowing the ongoing aggression play out as if it was yesterday’s news. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL CULLEN,

Sandycove,

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Co Dublin.

Sir, – You report that France and Sweden are asserting that the EU “should take stronger action to limit commercial engagement with illegal [Israeli] settlements” (“France and Sweden push to increase EU tariffs on goods from illegal Israeli settlements,” April 21st).

I try to imagine the reaction of a visitor from some distant planet to such language: “Wait a minute – the settlements are illegal, so how can it possibly be legal to trade with them in the first place?”

But of course no pointy-headed alien could be expected to fathom the logic of the hard-nosed realists who run our governments. – Yours, etc,

RAYMOND DEANE,

Broadstone,

Dublin 7.