Elaine Loughlin: Why did Government remove services from Occupied Territories Bill? It's the economy, stupid 

In its watered-down bill, the Government has shown economics trumps humanity when it comes to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank

An Israeli army bulldozer demolishing homes in the Palestinian urban refugee camp of Nur Shams, near the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Pictures: AP /Majdi Mohammed

In luring US multinational companies here, Ireland has become economically tangled up with Israel, which is now defining how we act against a genocidal regime.

This week, after eight years of foot dragging, the Government finally admitted the real reason for excluding services from the long-discussed and debated Occupied Territories Bill.