Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken to ensure the suspension of the EU Israel Association Agreement given the multiple violations of human rights and international law of the Israeli Government. [4448/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In February 2024, as Taoiseach, together with Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, I wrote to the President of the European Commission requesting an urgent review of whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The issue was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 March 2024 and in my meeting with President Von Der Leyen on 11 April 2024.

In subsequent meetings of EU Foreign Ministers, Ireland repeatedly called for an EU-Israel Association Council to be convened urgently, in order to review Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Agreement.

At the December 2024 Foreign Affairs Council, the EU High Representative announced that she proposed to hold an Association Council with Israel as soon as possible. The upcoming EU Israel Association Council meeting, now expected to take place in the margins of the February Foreign Affairs Council, is an opportunity to engage on the full range of issues covered by the Association Agreement. The Government has been unwavering in seeking for the meaningful interpretation of the EU Israel Association Agreement as being binding in respect of human rights.

At the Foreign Affairs Council last month, I called for the EU to use the upcoming Association Council with Israel as an opportunity to signal that relations with Israel cannot be ‘business as usual’ where we see Israeli actions clearly at odds with EU policy, human rights and international law. I again reiterated Ireland’s call for an urgent review of EU laws and policies to ensure they are compliant with the July 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.