Ireland will move forward with legislation to suspend trade with Israeli firms based in the occupied Palestinian territories, a top Irish official has said.
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Simon Harris, noted that the government will seek a formal decision on the legislation on Tuesday.
He hopes that the Committee on Foreign Affairs will begin reviewing the bill as early as next week.
Ireland, one of the European Union member states that strongly criticises Israel over its attacks on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories, last year proposed suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs economic and political relations between the two sides.
“The world has to act and the world has not done nearly enough,” Harris said, calling for stronger international efforts to secure a ceasefire, release hostages and ensure access to humanitarian aid.
The European Union decided to review the agreement, but Harris called that step insufficient.
“In my view, in the view of Ireland, it needs to be more than reviewed. It needs to be suspended because it cannot be business as usual whilst this is being carried out in Gaza,” Harris said.
Ireland’s Independent Senator Frances Black introduced a bill in 2018 aimed at banning trade with Israel and ending economic support for illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories. Despite progressing through various legislative stages, the bill has not yet become law.
Israel has permitted hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers to build homes in the occupied Palestinian territories — a move that is in direct violation of UN resolutions.
The Guardian exposed that major travel companies, including Booking.com and Airbnb, have helped Jewish settlers commercialise land in these occupied areas.
The Zionist state is formalising permanent annexation of Area C by greenlighting land registration for illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied territory.
Governments take steps against trade with Israel
Several companies, such as Ben & Jerry’s, have taken steps to cease business activities in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
If Ireland passes the bill, it will become the first European Union member state to prohibit trade with firms based in these territories.
Türkiye, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, halted all trade with Israel in 2024 in response to Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Norway has urged its companies not to engage with Israeli firms that contribute to the occupation, though it has not issued a formal ban.
Earlier, the United Kingdom mandated that Israeli firms label goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — since October 2023 in Gaza. Officials say that many are missing under the rubble.
Harris also condemned the starvation of children and the use of food as a weapon of war amid the Israeli blockade, which has prevented thousands of aid trucks—including those funded by Irish Aid —from entering Gaza for more than 80 days.
Armed settlers raid occupied West Bank village of Bruqin, burning down properties, and in a separate incident illegal settlers torch Palestinian agricultural land east of Ramallah.
