Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2018
94. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will review all trade between Ireland and Israel in view of continued illegal Israeli settlements, breaches of international law and ongoing violations of the rights of Palestinian children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14219/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has consistently strongly opposed expansion of Israeli settlements, breaches of international law, and human rights violations, and argued for stronger international action on these matters. The specific question of applying a trade ban to exert pressure on Israel over these questions has been raised very frequently in the Oireachtas, and successive Governments and Ministers for Foreign Affairs have made it clear that they do not consider such actions would be feasible, effective, or productive, and we therefore do not support them. Ireland exists in a trading union, and our external trade frontiers and rules are those of the European Union. There is no support whatever at EU level for trade sanctions on Israel.
It is also worth recalling that the great majority of our trade with Israel is Irish goods and services sold to Israel, and that the impact of such a ban would therefore be felt almost entirely in Ireland.
Ireland has pressed for and been instrumental in the adoption by the EU of a number of measures to differentiate between EU relations with Israel and the illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian Territory. These have included excluding settlement goods from lower tariff rates, guidelines on labelling settlement goods, advice to business and citizens about investing in settlements, and rules that prevent EU research grants from being spent in settlements. We continue to examine the scope for further such measures.
