Unprecedented Move: Ireland Plans to Ban Products from Israeli Settlements

28th May 2025

2 minutes read

Unprecedented Move: Ireland Plans to Ban Products from Israeli Settlements

In an unprecedented move within Europe, the Irish government has approved a draft law to ban the import of products originating from Israeli settlements.

All Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law, but this marks the first time a European Union member state takes concrete legislative action against them.

A spokesperson for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs told AFP: “The government has approved proceeding with legislation to prohibit trade in goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories… The government views this as a legal obligation under international law.”

The bill must still be voted on by the Irish parliament. It is seen as a symbolic step, as its economic impact is expected to be minimal.

The ban would apply to goods such as fruits, vegetables, and timber, but would not extend to services like tourism or IT.

Between 2020 and 2024, trade between Ireland and the territories occupied by Israel amounted to less than one million euros.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris told reporters on Tuesday: “I hope that when this small European country makes this decision and becomes, undoubtedly, the first Western country to enact such legislation, it will inspire other European nations to join us.”

A parliamentary committee will review the bill in June, and a final vote is scheduled for the fall.

Ireland’s decision is based on an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.

Around 500,000 Israelis live in settlements deemed illegal by the United Nations, among three million Palestinians in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

In May 2024, Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognized the State of Palestine, followed by Slovenia a month later, prompting retaliatory measures from Israel.

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France was considering recognizing the Palestinian state in early June.

Ireland’s move comes a week after the European Union decided to review its 1995 Association Agreement with Israel, which governs, among other things, trade relations between the two parties.

Conor O’Neill, a representative of Christian Aid Ireland, told AFP that this law would be the first “meaningful trade measure” ever taken within the EU and “a welcome step.”