Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson has condemned the US’s change of position on illegal settlements in Palestine.  

Speaking from a meeting in Helsinki, Martina Anderson said:

“The Trump administration publicly claiming that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are legal is a direct attack on International law. They are doing this to appease the hard-line Israeli government and the hard right in the US.

“This would appear to be in direct response to the recent ruling by the European Court of Justice that any food or drink produced in illegal Israeli settlements will need to be clearly labelled in the EU.

“The ruling rightly reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the West Bank constitute illegal population transfers beyond a state’s borders and that these territories could in no way be considered ‘Israel’.

“Illegal Israel settlements have been the main obstacle to the two-state solution and peace. 

“The Trump administration has demonstrated an alarming increase in active support for the violent oppression inflicted by the Israeli state.  

“We saw this first when the US agreed to move their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“They have facilitated Israel in getting away with decades of oppression of the Palestinian people and a constant disregard for human rights and international law. 

“I am calling on the Irish government to show leadership and implement the Occupied Territories Bill to ban and criminalise trade with and economic support for illegal settlements and to recognise the Palestinian State.

“The EU must speak out against this callous disregard for international law.”