NEW YORK: Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee called for EU sanctions on Israel ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, saying national measures alone would have limited impact.
Speaking in New York on Monday, McEntee said the European Union needed to act collectively over Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. She told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that the bloc’s credibility on the issue “is gone.”
McEntee urged EU members to support bloc-wide sanctions covering Israeli goods and services. She said Ireland had already taken national measures but wanted coordinated European action.
Irish legislation banning imports of Israeli goods originating in the occupied Palestinian territories took effect this week, McEntee said. She argued that similar measures would have greater impact if adopted across the EU.
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McEntee also said Ireland believed Israel was violating international law. She said Dublin would continue seeking further measures in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
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Her remarks came as the UN General Assembly’s 81st session opened in New York on Tuesday, September 22. The debate runs through September 28, with heads of state and other senior representatives addressing the assembly.
