Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has called on the European Commission to bring forward proposals to ban trade with illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Ms McEntee was in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, where ministers from across the EU were discussing economic security, reports RTE.
In a statement, Ms McEntee said Ireland had joined nine other EU member states in calling for the Commission to bring forward such proposals.
She said: “Europe cannot continue to defend a rules-based international order while permitting trade with illegal settlements.
Today at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), Ireland joined nine Member States in calling on the European Commission to bring forward proposals to ban trade with illegal settlements, reports RTE.
Illegal settlements are a breach of international law. Europe’s trade policy must be consistent with its legal and moral obligations,” reports RTE.
Speaking ahead of the discussions, Ms McEntee also criticised the Israeli government’s treatment of Irish citizens on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
She said: “We saw this week the actions of the Israeli government, and in particular an Israeli minister, against Irish but also European and international citizens, who had been illegally detained in international waters,” reports RTE.
This is just one of a number of actions we’ve seen in recent months and indeed years.
I believe Europe now needs to act and needs to respond, so today with other colleagues I will be calling for the commission to put forward proposals that would ban importation of trade from the illegal settlements,” reports RTE.
Ms McEntee also confirmed that the 14 Irish citizens detained by the Israeli government had arrived safely in Istanbul.
In a post on social media, she said: “Pleased to report that our flotilla citizens are safe in Istanbul and are recovering. I assure their loved ones that officials from our embassy will continue to provide appropriate consular assistance and support,” reports RTE.
Meanwhile, the Dutch government agreed to impose a ban on imports of goods produced in settlements in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said the ban was meant to prevent “any contribution through economic activities by the Netherlands to the unlawful occupation.”
Back home, opposition parties continued their call for services to be included in the Government’s Occupied Territories Bill, after Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he did not think including services was “implementable or viable,” reports RTE.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the Taoiseach’s comments as “unacceptable and counterproductive,” saying that nearly 70% of trade between Ireland and the occupied territories was in services, and that excluding them would knowingly blunt the sanction.
Social Democrats Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Senator Patricia Stephenson said the Government “must not introduce a half-measure,” adding that in 2014 the Government correctly banned the trade of goods and services with Crimea, and that this coalition was creating a double standard by inventing reasons not to do the same regarding the occupied territories, reports RTE.
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