FT: Ireland to Ban Trade with ’Israeli’ Firms in Settlements

By Staff, Agencies

According to The Financial Times, Ireland is set to become the first EU member state to formally initiate legislation banning trade with "Israeli" businesses operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move the government says is driven by the gravity of the ongoing war on Gaza.

The newspaper reported that Irish Foreign and Trade Minister Simon Harris will launch the drafting process on Tuesday, describing the planned bill as a necessary response to the “war crimes” committed by "Israel".

“It is clear war crimes are taking place, children are being starved and food is being used as a weapon of war,” Harris told the Financial Times, stressing that global inaction has allowed "Israel's" atrocities against Gaza to continue unchecked.

The legislative effort comes just days after a majority of EU states voted to reassess the bloc’s broader trade agreement with “Israel."

Ireland's imports of goods from "Israeli" businesses located in the occupied Palestinian territories, primarily areas around Al-Quds and the West Bank, are modest in volume.

Nonetheless, the Dublin government, which last year officially recognized the State of Palestine alongside Spain and Norway, hopes the initiative will set a precedent for other European countries to follow.

In addition, a central point of debate within the planned legislation concerns whether intangible services, such as tourism platforms and IT companies, should be included in the trade ban.