On Tuesday 1 September, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence Helen McEntee acknowledged that the European Union was unable to take a decision on banning trade with Israeli settlements that violate international law. Before the summer recess, Ireland enacted legislation relating to the issue, which will come into effect in September.
“We’re at an impasse”, Ms McEntee admitted as she arrived at the informal meeting of defence ministers in Wicklow, recalling also that “the actions over the summer have shown that the actions of the Israeli government are going in only one direction”. She called for EU countries to “respond effectively” when countries do not respect international law.
The minister expressed her intention to stress the need “to ensure that in the same way that we are putting pressure on Russia, who is conducting an illegal war in Ukraine, that we put that same pressure on any government, including Israel, that would carry out these acts that violate international law” during the discussion between European foreign ministers, expected this Wednesday.
“It’s true that on the issue of trade with settlements, we don’t have an agreement”, acknowledged the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. She pointed out that no concrete proposal for banning trade with settlements had been submitted to the Member States, and also, that there was currently no majority to go ahead with such measures.
At the same time, “clearly, strong action would be something that would send a clear message”, she stressed. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)