Ireland moves closer to banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements

Ireland has taken another step toward being the first EU country to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements, with lawmakers now calling for the proposed legislation to also cover Israeli services.

A parliamentary committee this week reviewed the draft Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025, which would prohibit the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law.

During Tuesday's hearing, officials from the Irish foreign ministry revealed that €214,000 (£184,751) worth of settlement goods, mostly fruit and vegetables, entered Ireland in 2024.

However, the figure for 2023 was listed as "zero", prompting questions from lawmakers who argued that the data excluded digital services, such as Airbnb rentals in illegal outposts, which should also be banned.

"Services are intangible. We do not have an accurate picture," said Gerard Keown, the department’s political director. He noted that services, traded via email or online platforms, are harder to trace than goods, which must pass through customs checks.

Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said she was "surprised" at the zero figure, given the number of settlement listings available on platforms like Airbnb. Senator Frances Black, who first introduced the bill in 2018, insisted that services must be included for the ban to be effective.

"I am 100 per cent certain that we can get the wording right. I believe there are no legal barriers to it," she told the chamber.

Legal adviser Declan Smyth explained that while EU regulations grant the bloc authority over trade with non-member states, there were limited public policy exceptions that allow member states to restrict imports of goods. It remains unclear, however, whether those exceptions can be applied to services.

The debate comes as Ireland continues to be one of Israel's largest export markets in Europe. UN Comtrade data shows Ireland imported €2.89 billion worth of Israeli goods in 2024, second only to the United States globally, and ahead of Germany, the UK, and France.

Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reports an even higher figure of €3.83 billion, with more than 95 percent of that comprising electrical machinery and appliances.

Pro-Palestine groups and human rights advocates have criticised the volume of trade, warning that continued imports risk undermining Ireland’s credibility despite growing parliamentary support for the bill.

The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank violate international law. They have warned that continued trade with companies operating in or benefiting from these settlements could amount to complicity.