Ireland hopes to cut all trade with illegal Israeli settlements

Campaigners and politicians in Ireland want to pass a bill that will ban the importing of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine over the coming months, according to The National. 

Israel’s attacks on Gaza have meant the bill is a subject of significant political scrutiny. Goods imported from Israel to Ireland in May 2024 were valued at almost €500 million, according to The National.

It would make Ireland the first EU country to outlaw the importing of goods from Israeli settlements, and campaigners hope it will prompt more pro-Palestine EU countries to follow suit. If countries such as Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium got on board, then it would open the possibility of an EU ban.

Maghrebi reported on May 20th that due to Israel’s blockade preventing sufficient humanitarian aid from  reaching Gaza, there is support within the EU to formally review its trade agreement with Israel. An EU wide ban is seemingly not out of reach.

The bill that would ban importing goods from illegal Israeli settlements into Ireland was initially proposed in 2018, blocked by the next government, and then ahead of the 2024 general election parties announced their support for it. 

In January 2025 the bill was scrapped, and a new one more compliant with EU law was brought to parliament in May.

The Minister of State in Ireland, Thomas Byrne, has stated that “we want to see it passed before the summer,” and added that the opposition continuously add amendments to the bill and that it would be “designed to push the boat out, designed to get something that can’t be done.”

The opposition in Ireland is led by Sinn Féin, a historically radical republican party. They are pushing for more expansive measures including amendments to trade in services as well as goods. The Irish government is arguing that this would be legally problematic.

Byrne has said that Sinn Féin wants to “tear apart the government, increase division in the country and is trying to use this to give political advantage for themselves.”

For the bill to be passed on the timeline that Byrne stated, the lower house of parliament would have to sit over summer, when it usually takes a break, which some parties including the Social Democrats support.

Ireland is one of the more ardent supporters of Palestine in Europe and in the world. Maghrebi reported on the connection between the countries on June 6th, highlighting that although Ireland and Palestine do not share the same religions or culture, they share a violent struggle for autonomy and freedom from oppressive nations. 

On May 18th, Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris recognised a Palestinian state along with Norway and Spain. Recognition of Palestine is something else that could start spreading through the EU, although it’s far less likely than more trade amendments or bans being made.

However, more nations are recognising the brutality of Israel’s attacks in Gaza. On June 10th, the British government sanctioned two senior Israeli ministers due to their extremist rhetoric against Palestinians, after the Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Israel’s actions “appalling, counterproductive and intolerable.” 

Thus far Starmer has resisted calls from protesters and some MPs to ban arms sales to Israel and recognise the state of Palestine, but if Israel continues alienating its allies, it is not unlikely that other nations will follow in Ireland’s vocal footsteps.

The National/Maghrebi