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Irish Bill to Boycott Israeli Settlements Runs Afoul of U.S. Laws
(The Hill) Orde F. Kittrie - A bill to be considered by Ireland's Senate on Tuesday would criminalize trade with Israeli settlements. If enacted, U.S. companies with Irish subsidiaries could be confronted with a choice between violating Irish law or violating U.S. Export Administration regulations, which require U.S. firms to refuse to participate in foreign boycotts that the U.S. does not sanction. In addition, the bill would subject companies to U.S. state-level sanctions and violate EU and international law. For example, the EU has exclusive competence for the common commercial policy and member states are not permitted to adopt unilateral restrictions on imports. Moreover, by blaming only Israel for the absence of peace, the Irish bill, like other BDS measures, contributes to Palestinians believing they might not need to negotiate with Israel. The writer, a law professor at Arizona State University, is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.