Israel's Netanyahu slams Irish anti-settlement bill
Xinhua,January 31, 2018 Adjust font size:
JERUSALEM, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday slammed a bill proposed by Ireland's parliament to outlaw goods from Jewish settlements.
The Irish bill's "entire goal is to support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions against Israel) movement and harm the State of Israel," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
It also charged that the bill encourages boycott against Israel and "completely contravenes the guiding principles of free trade and justice."
Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli Foreign Office to summon Irish Ambassador to Israel Alison Kelly on Wednesday to reprimand her for the bill, according to the statement.
On Tuesday, the Irish Senate debated the bill, which will ban import and sale of Israeli goods produced in the Jewish settlements, but decided the vote will be delayed until July.
The Palestinian-led BDS movement calls for boycotting Israeli goods until Israel ends the occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip.
The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since 2014, mainly due to Israel's continued expansion of Jewish settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories. Enditem