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US ambassador blasts Irish government and tells country to ‘sober up’
Mike Huckabee feels that Ireland is committing an act of ‘diplomatic intoxication’ over the Occupied Territories Bill.
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said Ireland needed to 'sober up' when it comes to Occupied Territories Bill. Photo: Reuters
Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Photo: Collins
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has called on Ireland to “sober up” over legislation which would ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The senior Trump administration figure also claimed that the Irish government “fell into a vat of Guinness” when drafting the proposed legislation.
The bill comes after the International Court of Justice last year declared that countries should "take steps to prevent trade or investment relations" over illegal Israeli settlements.
Writing on X, the former Governor of Arkansas said: “Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 17th
"It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis.
"Sober up Ireland! Call [the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs] and say you’re sorry!”
Huckabee, a long-time supporter of Israel, was chosen by US President Donald Trump for his current position last November before being sworn in following senate approval in April.
The comments came following a spiky exchanges between delegates from the Ireland Israel Alliance and the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade earlier this week.
The committee heard former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter liken the bill to legislation passed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Photo: Collins
Speaking on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin rejected the claims made by the American diplomat.
“The situation is very serious in Gaza including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed.
“Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
“The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass.
“Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward.”
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The proposed bill is set to go before the Dáil in the autumn. In May, the cabinet gave the green light for the government to progress a version of the proposed legislation.
UNICEF stated this week that more than 17,000 children have reportedly been killed and a further 33,000 wounded in the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
As of July 9, the Gaza Health Ministry stated that approximately 60,200 people have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023.
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