Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has launched a unified diplomatic initiative to seek clarity from the European Commission on how swiftly it intends to impose sanctions on Israel for its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, reports RTE.
The move follows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s confirmation during her recent State of the Union address that a set of measures in response to Israel’s conduct would be introduced.
Mr Harris is urging his fellow EU foreign ministers—some of whom are already contemplating their own trade measures—to jointly sign a letter addressed to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, requesting an expedited review of the proposed measures at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, reports RTE.
The letter sent to Ms Kallas states that Ms Von der Leyen’s declaration “presents a clear opportunity for the EU to take meaningful action”.
“As Member States, we stand ready to work with you immediately to overcome the current obstacles and ensure that sufficient pressure is applied to the Israeli government to change its course and meet its obligations according to international law,” the letter reads, reports RTE.
Earlier this year, the Irish Government introduced draft legislation aimed at banning the import of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Mr Harris is expected to move forward with the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 in the coming weeks, now that the pre-legislative scrutiny process was completed during the summer, reports RTE.
Elsewhere in Europe, similar actions are being taken, with Slovenia enacting a ban on trade with illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through an executive order.
Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands have also announced their intention to propose similar laws, reports RTE.
The Tánaiste’s action was welcomed by the CEO of Oxfam Ireland, who said “Ireland has a key role to play”.
Jim Clarken, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, argued that the measures being proposed by Ms Von der Leyen amount to “tinkering around the edges”, and insisted that only a complete suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement would suffice.
He also criticised the Commission President’s stance, saying her response so far has been “very poor until recently”, reports RTE.
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