The Irish parliament on Tuesday passed a bill banning the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, as Dublin moves forward with adopting one of the strictest European trade measures in this regard.
This legislation prohibits the importation of goods from “certain Israeli settlements” located outside Israel’s internationally recognized borders, including anything related to housing, agriculture, and trade.
While Ireland is the first EU member state to implement this ban, Spain began applying a package of restrictions on imports from Israeli settlements starting in October.
The center-right coalition government said that the drafting of the legislation it prepared was based on the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which deemed the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip illegal under international law.
Ireland was at the forefront of criticizing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and recognized the State of Palestine in 2024. At that time, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar ordered the closure of his country's embassy in Dublin, accusing it of pursuing "extreme anti-Israel policies".
Last month, Dublin barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory, due to their behavior towards activists of the “Global Steadfastness Flotilla.”
Ireland has long been calling for a review of the 1995 EU-Israel Association Agreement, which forms the basis for trade relations between the two sides.
The European Union announced last month that it would consider options to restrict trade with Israeli settlements. However, the lack of consensus among its member states continues to prevent further action against Israel.
The Irish ban is expected to have a more symbolic than economic impact, as trade with the settlements is limited to goods such as fruits, vegetables and timber, and did not exceed one million euros ($1.1 million) between 2020 and 2024.
Opposition MPs in Dublin criticized the bill, which has been sent to the Senate for final approval, arguing that it does not go far enough because it does not include trade in services.
In contrast, the government believes that banning trade in services is more complex than banning goods, and that the law must be legally sound before it comes into effect.
