Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD.RollingNews.ie
The Irish Government approved the text of the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 today, Tuesday, May 26, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has announced.
The Department says that the Bill "fulfils the commitment set out in the Programme for Government to progress legislation to prohibit the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory."
Once the Bill is enacted and commenced, the importation of goods originating in the settlements into Ireland will be an offence under section 14 of the Customs Act 2015.
"Israeli government ... have no intention of reaching a peaceful resolution"
Speaking following the Government meeting on Tuesday, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, said: “Ireland has continually advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and has consistently sought to progress implementation of the two-State solution.
“It is clear from the actions of the Israeli government, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, that they have no intention of reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict or ending the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
“The Government’s position, and indeed that of the EU, is clear - settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the realisation of the two-State solution.
“The Bill will positively contribute towards Ireland’s compliance with its international legal obligations as identified in the 2024 ICJ Advisory Opinion, including that states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“I will seek to enact the Bill before the summer recess."
McEntee continued: “Momentum is building in the international community to take action to protect the viability of the two-State solution, the only realistic option that offers the hope of a peaceful future to both Israelis and Palestinians. Those who seek to prevent it offer no viable alternatives. Respect for human rights and international law must be at the core of our approach.
“While we are moving ahead at the national level, it remains the Government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level. This will have greater impact, and I will continue to actively pursue this, alongside wider actions at the United Nations and elsewhere, in cooperation with regional and like-minded partners in support of the two-State solution.”
Background of the Bill
In its Advisory Opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) identified a range of obligations arising for states, including a duty of distinguishing in dealings with Israel between its own territory and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Among other things, the ICJ considered that this encompassed an obligation to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the OPT (or any part of it), which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory, as well as to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the OPT.
In May 2025, the Government approved the preparation of a general scheme of a Bill to prohibit the importation of goods from the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
On June 24 last year, the Irish Government published the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill (‘the 2026 Bill’). In doing so, Ireland became the first EU country to move on banning trade with Israeli-occupied territories.
In early July 2025, the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade undertook pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme. During this pre-legislative scrutiny stage, the Joint Committee heard from Government officials, legal and academic experts, Israeli and Palestinian advocacy groups, and representatives of Ireland’s Jewish community. It has also received submissions from prominent Israelis who support the legislation, including a former Israeli Attorney General and a former Speaker of the Knesset, and from Israeli and Palestinian advocacy groups, including US-based groups.
The Committee published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on July 31, 2025.
Collective action at EU level
While the Irish Government has today approved the text of the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026, it remains the Government's preference "that collective action would be taken at EU level," the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Tuesday.
At the Foreign Affairs Council on May 11, Ireland welcomed political agreement on a package of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and entities, as well as leading Hamas figures, under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
Ireland is supportive of further sanctions, including the sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers brought forward by the Commission President in September 2025.
At the Foreign Affairs Council on May 11 and again at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) on May 22, Minister McEntee requested that the European Commission bring forward a proposal to prohibit EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, on the basis of the EU's Common Commercial Policy, for decision at the June Foreign Affairs Council.
Minister McEntee also reiterated Ireland’s previous calls to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, or at a minimum to suspend the trade elements of the Agreement as previously proposed by the President of the European Commission.