(Washington Times) Clifford D. May - Last week, the lower house of the Irish parliament passed legislation to wage economic warfare against Israel by criminalizing a range of business transactions with Jews in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Obeying the Irish law would likely mean violating existing U.S. federal law that prohibits American firms from participating in foreign boycotts not endorsed by Washington. The U.S. in 2017 accounted for 2/3 of all foreign direct investment in Ireland. So, in the end, this law could have more impact on Ireland's economy than on anything happening in the Middle East. Based on such considerations, the executive branch of the Irish government may find a way to shelve the legislation, based on what it will cost Ireland, not because it's perceived as unfair and discriminatory. The writer is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2019-02-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive