Dublin moves to ban goods from Israeli settlements by mid-July

Ireland is aiming to pass legislation restricting trade in goods with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank by mid-July, despite opposition from Israel, some US lawmakers, and business groups, Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said.

Ireland’s government, one of the most vocal European critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, first pledged in October 2024 to introduce sanctions targeting Israeli settlements. However, the legislation has since faced political and industry pressure, with opposition parties calling for the scope to be expanded to include services, while international business groups have lobbied against the bill, Reuters reports.

Sources told Reuters last October that the proposal would be limited to goods. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin confirmed this last week, stating that extending the ban to services would be neither “implementable” nor “viable.”

According to Ireland’s Central Statistics Office, limiting the measure to goods would affect only a small number of imports from Israeli-occupied territories, including fruit, with an estimated annual value of around €200,000 ($234,660).

Business groups have warned that including services could expose multinational companies to unworkable sanctions and legal uncertainty.

“We have consistently advocated for a peaceful solution... but it's very clear from the actions taken most recently by the Israeli government, but in particular the continued increase in settler violence, the escalation in settler violence in the West Bank, the continued violence in Lebanon, that they have no desire to take this particular road,” McEntee told reporters.

Israel’s far-right governing coalition has overseen a rapid expansion of settlements, with some ministers openly calling for the annexation of the West Bank.

Violence by settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

McEntee said last week she hoped to advance the legislation in coordination with Belgium, the Netherlands, and possibly Slovenia, which have also pledged similar bans. Spain has already introduced comparable restrictions, becoming the only European Union member to do so so far.

A group of US lawmakers wrote to Prime Minister Micheál Martin last year, warning that the bill could damage US–Irish relations and affect American companies operating in Ireland.

Ireland is particularly sensitive to such pressure, as mainly US-owned multinational companies play a major role in its economy and employ around 11% of the workforce.

Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes, citing historical and biblical ties as well as security concerns.

By Vafa Guliyeva