The Irish Parliament approved a bill on Tuesday banning the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, as Dublin moves forward to adopt one of the strictest European trade measures in this regard.
This legislation prohibits the import of goods from "certain Israeli settlements" located outside Israel's internationally recognized borders and includes everything related to housing, agriculture, and commerce.
While Ireland is the first EU member to proceed with this ban, Spain had started implementing a package of restrictions on imports from Israeli settlements, starting in October, according to the "Agence France-Presse."
The coalition government (center-right) stated that the formulation of the legislation it prepared was based on the advisory opinion issued in 2024 by the International Court of Justice, which considered the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip illegal under international law.
Ireland has been at the forefront of critics of the Israeli war on Gaza, while it recognized the State of Palestine in 2024. At that time, Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Saar ordered the closure of his country's embassy in Dublin, accusing it of pursuing “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Last month, Dublin barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory, based on their behavior towards activists of the “Global Fleet of Resilience.”
Ireland has long called for a review of the partnership agreement between the EU and Israel signed in 1995, which forms the basis for trade relations between the two sides.
Last month, the European Union announced that it would consider options to restrict trade with Israeli settlements. However, the lack of consensus among its member states still prevents further steps against Israel.
The impact of the Irish ban is expected to be more symbolic than economic; as the volume of trade with settlements is limited to goods such as fruits, vegetables, and timber, and did not exceed one million euros ($1.1 million) between 2020 and 2024.
Opposition deputies in Dublin criticized the bill that was referred to the Senate for final approval, considering it does not go far enough; because it does not include service trade.
In contrast, the government believes that banning service trade is more complex than banning goods, and that the law must be legally sound before it can be implemented.