Ireland passes law banning imports from Israeli settlements in West Bank, excluding services

Ireland decides on an import ban for goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Photo: Mamoun Wazwaz/XinHua/dpa

From Dublin Ralf Sotscheck

After an eight-year legislative process, the Irish parliament has passed a law banning the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The original bill, introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, covered both goods and services, but the governing parties declined to include services.

A final opposition attempt to extend the ban to services failed in the Senate on Wednesday. Opposition politicians argued that the exclusion creates a significant loophole, as services account for approximately 70 percent of trade with the region.

A government analysis acknowledges that international law would require a complete trade ban with the illegal Israeli settlements. Foreign Minister Helen McEntee conceded that the law as passed is not compatible with international law.

The government describes its approach as "two-pronged": enacting the import ban on goods while simultaneously pushing at the EU level for a broader trade ban covering both goods and services.

Boycott Not Sufficient Under International Law?

Senator Frances Black stated that the government had knowingly approved a law that violates international legal obligations. "And that's how it will remain until a complete ban is agreed at EU level – which, as we know, may never happen."

She added that the government is "letting large companies that trade based on technology, IT, and other services off the hook." Senator and former Attorney General Michael McDowell said he agreed with Black on "every single word."

Paul Murphy, MP for the socialist party "People Before Profit," accused the conservative coalition of attempting to "completely hollow out" the law. Criticism also came from within the government's own ranks. MP Seán Ó Fearghaíl of the governing party Fianna Fáil said Ireland was "afraid of what the Americans might do or say."

Democratic US Congressman Josh Gottheimer called for the bill to be withdrawn before the Irish parliamentary debate, describing it as "a unilateral measure that singles out Israel while ignoring territorial disputes everywhere else in the world." He warned that US companies in Ireland could be forced to choose between complying with Irish law and anti-boycott laws in thirty-eight US states.

Relations between Ireland and Israel have been strained for some time. Israel closed its embassy in Dublin in December 2024 after the Irish parliament unanimously recognized the State of Palestine, elevated the Palestinian mission in Dublin to embassy status, and supported South Africa's genocide lawsuit against Israel.

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