Ireland’s parliament on Tuesday approved legislation banning the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, marking one of the most far-reaching trade measures adopted by a European country.
The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill prohibits imports from Israeli residential, agricultural and commercial enterprises located outside Israel’s internationally recognised borders.
The centre-right coalition government said the legislation was drafted in response to the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and Gaza illegal under international law.
Ireland has been among Israel’s most vocal European critics over the Gaza War. Dublin recognised a Palestinian state in 2024, prompting Israel to close its embassy in the Irish capital.
Meanwhile, in June, Ireland barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country.
The latest measure is expected to have a limited direct economic impact as Irish imports from Israeli settlements, including products such as fruit, vegetables, and timber, totalled less than €1 million between 2020 and 2024.
The legislation nevertheless carries broader diplomatic significance, as Ireland was the first EU member state to propose a comprehensive import ban specifically targeting the settlements, though Spain has since become the first to enact one prior to this bill’s passage.
The move follows months of criticism from Washington, with the US State Department warning in June that the legislation amounted to “unhelpful virtue signalling” that “does not serve the cause of peace in the Middle East, help feed Gazans or work toward the outcomes Ireland says it seeks”.
US officials also claimed the legislation could fuel antisemitism, encourage those seeking renewed conflict in Gaza, and complicate operations for American companies doing business in Ireland.
The Irish government has maintained that the measure is not a boycott of Israel but a targeted restriction on goods originating in Israeli communities beyond Israel’s pre-1967 Green Line.
The bill still has to clear some additional parliamentary processes before it becomes law, but it is expected to be enacted before the summer recess next week.
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