DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has been praised for taking the lead with a law that would ban imports from Israeli-occupied territories. However, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, a well-known lawyer, said the current law focuses too much on goods and risks being just "window dressing" — something that looks good but doesn't do much.

Ní Ghrálaigh, who was part of the South African legal team that accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), spoke at a meeting of Ireland's Foreign Affairs Committee on July 9. The meeting discussed the Occupied Territories Bill.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that Ireland is the only country to propose such a law so far, and he hopes other European nations will follow suit.

The Irish Parliament is currently reviewing the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025.

Ní Ghrálaigh said this is an important issue and praised Ireland's leadership. However, she reminded the committee that the ICJ has said Israel's occupation of Palestinian land is illegal and must end.

Because of this, Ireland has a duty not to support or help maintain that situation, including through trade. She said Ireland should clearly separate how it deals with the state of Israel and with the occupied Palestinian territories.

She also said that doing business with Israel means doing business with a country that, according to the United Nations, has turned Gaza into a "killing field."

Ní Ghrálaigh called for a stronger version of the Bill — one that bans trade, services, and investments with Israeli settlements and companies that support the occupation. She said this is the minimum required under international law.

She added that this would turn the Bill from something symbolic into a law with real impact.

But to fully meet its legal obligations, she said, Ireland must also urgently review all its ties with Israel — not just trade, but also cultural, diplomatic, financial, political, and military — to make sure they do not help Israel continue breaking international law.

She said such a review is long overdue.