Source: Government of Ireland
In its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) identified a range of obligations arising for states, including a duty of distinguishing in dealings with Israel between its own territory and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Among other things, the ICJ considered that this encompassed an obligation:
- to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the OPT (or any part of it) which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory;
- to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the OPT.
In May 2025 the Government approved the preparation of a general scheme of a Bill to prohibit the importation of goods from the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. On 24 June 2025, the Government published the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill (‘the 2026 Bill’).
In early July 2025, the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade undertook pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme. During this pre-legislative scrutiny stage, the Joint Committee heard from Government officials, legal and academic experts, Israeli and Palestinian advocacy groups, and representatives of Ireland’s Jewish community. It has also received submissions from prominent Israelis who support the legislation, including a former Israeli Attorney General and a former Speaker of the Knesset, and from Israeli and Palestinian advocacy groups, including US-based groups.
The Committee published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on 31 July 2025.
The Government today (26 May) approved the text of the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026.
It remains the Government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level.
At the 11 May Foreign Affairs Council, Ireland welcomed political agreement on a package of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and entities, as well as leading Hamas figures, under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
Ireland is supportive of further sanctions, including the sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers brought forward by the Commission President in September 2025.
At the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 May and again at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) on 22 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, requested that the European Commission bring forward a proposal to prohibit EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, on the basis of the EU’s Common Commercial Policy, for decision at the June Foreign Affairs Council.
Minister McEntee also reiterated Ireland’s previous calls to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, or at a minimum to suspend the trade elements of the Agreement as previously proposed by the President of the European Commission.