Tánaiste vows to include services from Israeli settlements in trade ban
By Cate McCurry, PA
The Tánaiste has vowed to include the provision of services to legislation that will ban imports from Israeli settlements if it stands up to legislative scrutiny.
Simon Harris also said he wants to put pressure on the other 26 European countries to consider banning trade with occupied Palestinian territories, and called on opposition parties to contact their counterparts in the bloc.
Mr Harris said Ireland is the only country to publish legislation to ban imports from the occupied Palestinian territories, saying it is “pretty lonely out there”, adding it would be “a hell of a lot better” if Europe moved together on it.
The legislation was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday morning.
Mr Harris brought forward the renamed Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025.
The Government opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018.
It will now go before an Oireachtas committee for examination.
Mr Harris said that every Government TD will be expected to back the legislation as it forms part of the Programme for Government.
“Let’s not forget one thing before we get into the detail of the legislation, there isn’t another country in the European Union that you can visit today and ask a government minister about their Bill to ban trade and the detail of it, because they don’t have one,” he added.
“We’re the first country in the European Union to take this step. We’re the first country in the European Union say, yes, trade is a European competency, and it’ll be a hell of a lot better if Europe moves together, and a hell of a lot more impactful.
“But in the absence of Europe moving together, we’re going to go ahead with our own domestic legislation.
“I would really ask the opposition here not to do this lazy politicking of you know, opposition good, government bad. Everybody in this country is sickened to the pit of their stomach with the genocide they see in Gaza.
“They don’t care, the people of Ireland, who they vote for in an election in relation to this, they just know in their gut what is happening, particularly children in Gaza, is genocide is wrong, and everyone has to do everything they want.
“I have no policy difference, zero policy difference with the opposition in relation to the inclusion of services, but we do have a Constitution, we are members of the European Union, and I’m not in the business of putting together legislation that would fall at the first legal hurdle.
“I presume everybody here wants to pass a law that is impactful, a law that is in compliance with the laws of our land.”
Earlier this week, a number of countries, including Ireland, asked the European Commission to examine how goods produced in illegal Jewish settlements “can be brought into line with international law”.
Mr Harris said he does not believe the European Union has made itself compliant with the ICJ advisory opinion.
“We will do our own legislation, (I am) open to services, absolutely open to working constructively with the opposition, but also keep the pressure on at the European level,” he added.
“What I hope the opposition will be doing today, every opposition leader should be picking up the telephone, and they should be ringing their counterparts in European countries and saying, ‘hey, have you seen here in Ireland we’re bringing forward a domestic legislation, would you think about doing it yourself?
“Because so far, it’s pretty lonely out there. There’s not one other country in Europe that has published any legislation to ban trade, and I’d really appreciate the opposition’s help with their counterparts in the 26 other European states.”