Middle East
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-21
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

That is exactly what we are doing. We are taking a little time to build a consensus. At a European level, I have been sitting around the table for the past few months. Months ago, there was no discussion of how we would move or impose sanctions. There was nothing. Sanctions have been on the table at the Commission since last year. I have, with colleagues from Slovenia and Spain, over recent weeks and months, pushed for this issue to be put back on the agenda. Because of that, what we agreed last week was sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank. That was one sanction that was on the table, and not before time, but there are more. The next sanction on the table is that we would suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel association agreement. That is for all of Israel and not just the West Bank. It would have a significant economic impact on Israel. That is something we should have done before now, but Ireland has called for it. We have been at the table and calling for this, but others have not agreed. What I have been trying to do is to build a consensus.
I have also asked for a proposal that would ban trade with the illegal settlements, separate from the ban on violent settlers that we have already agreed. That is in place, has been agreed and will be followed through on. I want action at a European level because that is how we have the greatest impact. Yes, Spain has already imposed its legislation, but I want to ensure that we move collectively and have legislation individually.
In response to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, I am not confused at all in what I have said this week. I have said we should move both. I have said that if this does not happen at a European level, it is all the more reason we should have this other legislation. We have lots of legislation in our programme for Government and not all of it gets implemented in the first couple of months or the first year. We have to work through it. I have worked with the Attorney General because we need to make sure that we have legislation that can be implemented and can take effect. That is what everybody here wants. There is an element of making sure that we do what is principled, and I believe that Ireland has always taken that approach when it comes to Palestine, Gaza and what is happening in the West Bank. However, as Minister, I also want to make sure that our actions have a positive impact on the people on the ground and the best way I believe we can do that is by Europe taking a strong stance. I believe we are in a much better place in that regard than we were a couple of weeks ago and that is because I and other people in other countries have been working to build consensus. We are not sitting on our hands and saying nothing. We have been trying to get people to this point within Europe so that we will have a vote at the next meeting. I reiterated that point to High Representative Kaja Kallas again this morning and said that we need to have a vote at the next meeting because we have discussed it long enough. This week's actions show us exactly why we need this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:58+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-21