Ireland’s parliament on Tuesday approved legislation banning imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jewish areas of East Jerusalem, as Dublin pressed ahead with one of Europe’s most far-reaching trade measures over Israel’s control of those regions.

The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) bill prohibits the import of goods from “certain Israeli settlements.”

Those include residential, agricultural and business interests that lie outside Israel’s internationally recognized borders.

While Ireland was the first European Union country to propose such a ban, Spain already implemented a package of import restrictions last October.

The center-right coalition government that drafted the legislation has said its wording was guided by an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

The ICJ said Israel’s presence in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip was an illegal occupation under international law.

Most of the international community considers all Israeli settlements illegal under international law, while Israel claims Jewish historical ties to the regions.

Israel has controlled the West Bank since capturing the territory from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War. Israel annexed East Jerusalem — a move not recognized by most of the international community — while........

© The Times of Israel