Sir, – In view of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s boast about Ireland’s leadership among other European countries in supporting Palestine (“Government’s plans to exclude services leaves Occupied Territories Bill ‘gutted’, claims Opposition,” May 26th), a reality check is necessary.Senator Frances Black proposed the Occupied Territories Bill, in practice banning trade in goods and services with illegal Israeli settlements, in 2018. After seven years of prevarication, this was replaced by Fine Gael’s Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill in 2025. Banning almost non-existent trade but omitting the indispensable ban on services, this is the Bill that the Government is now proposing to enact.Meanwhile, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands have passed similar laws, so Ireland cannot even claim priority.Ireland remains Israel’s second-largest trading partner (after the United States). US military planes, which may be carrying arms to Israel, routinely pass through Shannon Airport or Irish airspace without inspection.A case may therefore be made that, far from showing “leadership among other European countries in supporting Palestine”, the Irish State is shamefully complicit in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people.Irish civil society, on the other hand, has long displayed an exemplary commitment to Palestinian rights, inspired in part by a sense of historical affinity.Irish participants in Gaza aid flotillas have risked kidnapping and mistreatment by Israeli forces. Irish activists have risked imprisonment in certain European countries that suspend the rule of law in the interests of Israel. Irish artists have committed themselves to cultural boycott of Israel at risk of defamation, censorship and cancellation. Our current government, like its predecessors, is posturing as an advocate of Palestinian rights while kowtowing to Israel, the US, the EU and corporate interests. Representing the views of Irish people is the last thing on its collective mind. – Yours, etc,RAYMOND DEANE,Broadstone,Dublin 7.Sir, – The Government must be commended for eventually progressing the Occupied Territories Bill. This will be a landmark beginning and a clear declaration by an EU state that Israel’s ceaseless infringements of international law are unacceptable and will have consequences.Undoubtedly, it will be recognised as an important expression of Irish empathy with the Palestinian people and, hopefully, will encourage other states to enact similar and far more courageous versions of the legislation. Moreover, it should be understood as an act of solidarity by civil society in Ireland.There can be no doubt it will be enacted by a reluctant Government primarily because of gathering public pressure and relentless campaigning by untiring advocates such as Senator Frances Black.The Bill brought through the Cabinet must be welcomed as significant progress. That said, it is undeniably disappointing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael plainly lack the bravery to make this a more impactful economic sanction by including services. Let us hope they have second thoughts on this element as the debate proceeds. – Yours, etc,FINTAN LANE,Lucan,Co Dublin.Sir, – Our Government’s pending ban on trade in goods from land and homes violently stolen by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories while retaining trade in services may best be understood as a simple maths equation.A ban on goods is a negative for Israel. Retaining trade in services (the vast majority of overall trade with Israel) is a positive for Israel. Either one cancels out the other, leaving us back at square one. Or, with goods only a fraction of the value of services, the result is in fact an overall positive for Israel. – Yours, etc,EMMA O’FRIEL,Celbridge,Co Kildare.