Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 October 2026
3. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her position regarding the continued illegal settlement construction by Israel on Palestinian territory; and the dialogue she has with EU counterparts regarding same. [69241/26]
View answerI would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her position regarding the continued illegal settlement construction by Israel on Palestinian territory; and the dialogue she has with EU counterparts regarding same.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Irrespective of what we might disagree on, this is an issue that we all actually agree on. We all fully agree that the only viable solution for both Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side and to have peace and security, is the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.
It has been clear for some time now that the unilateral actions by the Israeli Government are aimed not just at undermining the two-state solution but at making it absolutely impossible to ever have a two-state solution. These actions have been escalating in a very established pattern. In particular, the E1 settlement project that was agreed and moved forward by the Israeli Government very clearly attempts to cut the West Bank in half, preventing a contiguous Palestinian State and ultimately the two-state solution. I have urged the Israeli Government to immediately rescind this tender and reiterated our calls for an end to illegal settlement activity.
However, we all know that Ireland alone calling for this is not going to change the actions of the Israeli Government. At every European meeting I have attended, which we are now hosting, and have hosted here in Ireland, but also at the UN last week, I have consistently raised the need for Ireland, the EU and the international community to do more. I can see a shift and a change. I am not saying that has brought about the changes that we want yet. When I attended the UN last week, the very first meeting I went to on the Sunday evening was a focus on the two-state solution. I attended with colleagues from Europe, but also from Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and from the European Council, including our high representative. The very clear view was that if we do not act in a much stronger way, we will be back again next year at the UN talking about how things have gotten worse, not in any way better, which is not an acceptable position for anybody. The humanitarian situation on the ground is appalling. The situation continues to deteriorate. I will continue to advocate for every possible action to be taken at an EU level, but I believe this needs to be on an international scale as well.
The vicious, criminal, heinous crimes of Israeli settlers in recent days is no new departure. The Nakba is now a near eight-decade-long catastrophe of Israeli settlers stealing Palestinian homes and land with impunity. I welcome that the Government has prohibited the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. I am glad to see that the Minister is advocating and calling this out. It is shameful and a stain upon Ireland that the Government has sought to insulate criminal terrorists, Israeli settlers, from the most significant impact of sanctions proposed in the occupied territories Bill, through choosing not to include services.
Recent actions by the Israeli Government increasingly point to the de facto annexation of the entire West Bank, including East Jerusalem. What is the Government doing to bring about the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement?
On that last point, there is a proposal from the Commission to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. That was brought about because of the advocacy of Ireland and a number of countries last year. At that time, proposals were also made to impose sanctions on violent settlers and those responsible for the October attacks a number of years ago. What is very clear, unfortunately, and I say "unfortunately" because we fully support the suspension of the association agreement, is that there is not support for that. There is not an ability to progress that particular proposal. I have been advocating, as have a number of member states, for further proposals to be put on the table by the Commission, specifically for the illegal settlements. I have sat around a table with every single member state and we all agree they are illegal settlements. What is happening is illegal. What is happening with violent settlers is appalling. If we are to uphold what we all agree, and what is very clearly set out in international law, then we need to move forward specifically, even if it is only just this and not the whole association agreement, to ban trade with the illegal settlements. I will continue to advocate.
Ireland and Spain are the first countries to introduce legislation. Ours came into effect on 15 September. Through our engagement, we are now seeing Canada, the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg and other countries saying that they are going to do this, which is a shift and a change. I really hope that if we continue to pressure and push this, we will see a greater response from Europe as a whole.
I also hope that there is a shift. When Ireland fails to comply with our obligations under the EU treaties, infringement proceedings are launched against us. What is the appropriate course of action for an EU member state to take when the European Union itself is in breach of its obligations? The Minister's position would suggest that the EU treaties compel Ireland to continue to provide preferential trading arrangements to a state the Government believes to be involved in genocide and the annexation of different territories of its neighbours. Let us say that somehow this situation was unforeseen. Is it now Irish Government policy to refrain from facilitating EU trade deals that could in the future necessitate such a position, however unforeseen?
I am not sure the Irish Government can be any clearer in our position. The Taoiseach and all of us have said we are appalled by the actions of the Israeli Government. We consider this to be an attempt to completely eliminate an entire population and remove them from their land. Trade is an EU competence. We have moved unilaterally, which is not something that the Commission or others want to see happen, but more and more countries are now starting to move unilaterally because the Commission is not moving. As I said last week, we are failing people by not moving. We cannot unilaterally pull back from the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It is an EU-wide agreement. That is why we have advocated for the EU as a whole to focus on this matter.
I do not believe there is a consensus, no matter how much I push this at the moment, to suspend the entire Israel association agreement, or even the trade element of it at this stage. However, we have seen a consistent shift when it comes specifically to the illegal settlements. I refer to Italy and other countries where perhaps there had not been that clarity. Giorgia Meloni in her own statement at the UN last week was clear in saying that she would welcome further proposals specifically related to the illegal settlements in the West Bank. I will continue to advocate and engage with colleagues. I want to stress again, as was highlighted last week, that the immediate need is for more aid to get to people in Gaza and for us to be able to do more in that regard. The situation, particularly coming into the winter, is only going to get worse.
