Our Embassy in Washington DC is continuously engaged with American interlocutors, including Administration officials and members of Congress, to ensure that Ireland’s foreign policy, including on the Middle East, is well known and understood.
On the issue of contact with the Trump Administration and elected US representatives on the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill, a number of members of Congress have expressed reservations about the proposed legislation. The matter has also been raised in contacts with representatives of the US State Department.
We value the contributions of international partners as part of a robust and inclusive debate. The Government’s position and, indeed, that of the EU is clear: settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the realisation of a two-state solution.
Consistent with the position of the EU, Ireland has been clear in underlining that policies and measures that distinguish between the state of Israel and Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law, do not constitute a boycott of the state of Israel.
