There has been a 'substantial shift' in the European Union regarding action against Israel, according to Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee. Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, she said that while a proposal to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement was rejected, there was a noticeable change in member states' willingness to do more.
McEntee, along with her Spanish and Slovenian counterparts, had called for a discussion on suspending or partially suspending the trade agreement due to human rights concerns. She condemned Israel's introduction of the death penalty targeting Palestinians and the 'unprecedented and unacceptable' escalation of violence in the West Bank.
Although the proposal did not achieve unanimity, McEntee described it as the first council meeting where she felt a 'substantial shift' among member states. She said she would continue working with other colleagues to make further progress, emphasising the importance of acting in unison with the EU to have a positive impact on the ground.
On a separate Government Bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, McEntee said progress was being made. Independent Senator Frances Black accused the government of using 'delay tactics', but McEntee stated she had received a second round of advice from the Attorney General and would respond soon, stressing the need to coordinate with other member states before making legislative changes.
