Focus on the BIG picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025
Outside the box.
Ireland Proposes Legislation to Ban Israeli Settlement Imports
Proposed law aims to criminalize imports from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
Ireland is poised to become the first European Union member state to propose a ban on the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Irish government plans to introduce a draft law that would criminalize the purchase of products sourced from these regions, specifically the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas widely regarded as illegally occupied under international law.
The announcement was made by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris, who stated that the proposed legislation reflects a significant international shift in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and related humanitarian crises.
Harris articulated the urgency of the situation, declaring that it is evident that war crimes are being committed, including the starvation of children and the utilization of food as a weapon.
He emphasized the need for decisive action, stating, 'The world has not done enough, and we must act.'
The proposed ban would specifically prohibit imports of physical goods, including agricultural products like dates, oranges, olives, timber, and cosmetics, from Israeli settlements.
It is important to note that products manufactured by Palestinian companies in the same territories, such as Zaytoun olive oil, would be exempt from this measure.
Over the period from 2020 to 2024, the total value of Irish imports from these territories amounted to approximately €685,000; however, the significance of the measure appears largely symbolic given the broader geopolitical context.
There is an ongoing legal discourse around potentially extending the ban to include services, such as tourism and technology sectors.
More than 400 Irish academics and lawyers have publicly supported expanding the ban to these additional sectors, arguing that legal barriers to such an extension in Irish, European, or international law are surmountable.
If implemented, this could affect companies like Airbnb, which is headquartered in Dublin and previously withdrew its listings in the occupied territories in 2019, only to later reinstate them.
The company now reportedly directs profits from its operations in these areas to humanitarian organizations.
Harris confirmed that he has received legal advice indicating that extending the ban to services would currently face insurmountable legal obstacles.
Notably, trade governance in the EU lies primarily within the competence of the Union; nevertheless, exceptions allow member states to act independently in circumstances deemed to have extraordinary gravity.
In this regard, Ireland references an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which encourages states to take measures that prevent trade interactions that contribute to the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
At the level of EU policymaking, the proposal comes in the wake of a recent vote by a majority of member states in favor of revising the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
A prior request from Ireland and Spain to reassess the Agreement had been denied by the European Commission in February 2024. The EU executive body indicated that it would not comment on the Irish proposal until the legislation has been passed by the Irish Parliament and formally submitted to Brussels.
In light of the complexities involved, Harris remarked on the importance of collective EU action, suggesting that such a coordinated effort would yield a far greater impact.
The Irish government plans to introduce a draft law that would criminalize the purchase of products sourced from these regions, specifically the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas widely regarded as illegally occupied under international law.
The announcement was made by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris, who stated that the proposed legislation reflects a significant international shift in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and related humanitarian crises.
Harris articulated the urgency of the situation, declaring that it is evident that war crimes are being committed, including the starvation of children and the utilization of food as a weapon.
He emphasized the need for decisive action, stating, 'The world has not done enough, and we must act.'
The proposed ban would specifically prohibit imports of physical goods, including agricultural products like dates, oranges, olives, timber, and cosmetics, from Israeli settlements.
It is important to note that products manufactured by Palestinian companies in the same territories, such as Zaytoun olive oil, would be exempt from this measure.
Over the period from 2020 to 2024, the total value of Irish imports from these territories amounted to approximately €685,000; however, the significance of the measure appears largely symbolic given the broader geopolitical context.
There is an ongoing legal discourse around potentially extending the ban to include services, such as tourism and technology sectors.
More than 400 Irish academics and lawyers have publicly supported expanding the ban to these additional sectors, arguing that legal barriers to such an extension in Irish, European, or international law are surmountable.
If implemented, this could affect companies like Airbnb, which is headquartered in Dublin and previously withdrew its listings in the occupied territories in 2019, only to later reinstate them.
The company now reportedly directs profits from its operations in these areas to humanitarian organizations.
Harris confirmed that he has received legal advice indicating that extending the ban to services would currently face insurmountable legal obstacles.
Notably, trade governance in the EU lies primarily within the competence of the Union; nevertheless, exceptions allow member states to act independently in circumstances deemed to have extraordinary gravity.
In this regard, Ireland references an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which encourages states to take measures that prevent trade interactions that contribute to the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
At the level of EU policymaking, the proposal comes in the wake of a recent vote by a majority of member states in favor of revising the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
A prior request from Ireland and Spain to reassess the Agreement had been denied by the European Commission in February 2024. The EU executive body indicated that it would not comment on the Irish proposal until the legislation has been passed by the Irish Parliament and formally submitted to Brussels.
In light of the complexities involved, Harris remarked on the importance of collective EU action, suggesting that such a coordinated effort would yield a far greater impact.
