Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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49. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to support a boycott (details supplied) which specifically targets illegal Israeli settlement goods under international law in view of the recent killings in Gaza by Israeli state forces. [28009/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The question of boycotts and sanctions has been discussed on many occasions in the Oireachtas.The Government does not support boycotts on Israel. I believe that such actions would be ineffective and counterproductive. They would impact indiscriminately on Israelis, including those who agree with our views on the resolution of the conflict, as well as potentially isolating Israelis from the kinds of interactions where diverse views on these issues are expressed. Successive Ministers for Foreign Affairs have taken this view. The question of products made or grown in settlements, which are not a part of Israel, is a separate issue. Ireland and the international community regard the establishment and growth of these settlements as illegal under international law, and the EU has taken action to make a distinction between settlement goods, and goods from Israel. In the past, the EU has reached agreement on measures on labelling of settlement products, exclusion of settlements from access to EU research grants, and non-acceptance of Israeli certification for some settlement products. Since Ireland is part of the single market of the European Union, all action in relation to how trade with settlement goods is managed is governed by such actions at EU level. Regrettably, there is at present no political consensus in the EU on stronger action in this area.

These issues were discussed in the Seanad earlier this year in the debate on the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill, a debate which I expect to be resumed next month. In my contribution to that debate, I stated that I respect the motives of those supporting the Bill, but I also explained why the Government opposes it. First and foremost among these reasons is the fact that external trade is an exclusive EU competence. I also set out in that debate my belief that, even if it were possible under EU law to take unilateral action on settlement goods, taking such a step at this moment would not be helpful to the objective we all share, that is, the end of the Israeli occupation and the achievement of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

It is important also not to over-emphasise the issue of settlement products, which are of limited economic significance in themselves. Settlements are a political, not an economic project. Most settlements do not export anything, and the volume of settlement goods arriving in Ireland is thought to be extremely small.

I have made very clear the Government’s strong views on the recent actions of Israeli forces in Gaza – in public statements, here in the Oireachtas, and directly to Israeli authorities. Ireland has also supported appropriate responses at the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.