Lawyers have pledged to challenge the “illegality” of Irish plans to boycott goods and services originating from settlements in the West Bank.

On Wednesday Ireland’s Senate gave initial approval to the bill, which will become law if it passes its remaining stages in both chambers of parliament.

The case is backed by UK Lawyers for Israel and the Lawfare Project, which fights cases of antisemitic discrimination in courts around the world.

Lawfare’s executive director Brooke Goldstein said the proposals were illegal under European law.

She said: “Commercial discrimination on the basis of nationality is shameful in any form, but it is particularly frightening when it emanates from the halls of government—from the same lawmakers who were elected to protect the legal rights of their constituents.

“We will do everything in our power to prevent this unprecedented state-sanctioned discrimination from becoming law in Ireland.”

The bill seeks to outlaw any goods or services produced by an Israeli person based beyond the armistice lines agreed at the end of the Six Day War in 1967.

It applies not only to supplies in Ireland but also to supplies anywhere in the world if any person involved is an Irish citizen or resident or an Irish company, the Lawfare Project added.

The bill was sponsored by Independent Senator Frances Black, who said Palestinian farmers were affected by the settlements and Israel's occupation of territories in the West Bank.

“Though these settlements are continually condemned as illegal by EU, UN and Irish Government, they continued to extract valuable assets,” Ms Black told the Irish Times.

The Irish government opposes the bill but does not have a parliamentary majority and does not have the votes to block it alone.