DUBLIN, (PIC)
Ireland plans to independently impose economic sanctions on the Israeli occupation state, announcing that it will not wait for the EU to unilaterally suspend trade with Israel, after pro-Israel countries foiled the attempt of Ireland and Spain to act towards this end within the framework of the European bloc.
Dublin is considering preventing the import of any foods or goods that are produced in Israeli settlements, which value is estimated at one million euros annually.
Ireland along with Slovenia, Luxembourg and other countries constitute “pro-Palestinians” axis in the EU almost since the first day of the aggression on Gaza.
The European Union is the largest trade partner for Israel, as the volume of trade exchange between them reached about 50 billion dollars last year.
Due to power division in the EU, all trade issues of the joint bloc are determined by the European Commission, in consultation with the 27 member states.
Over the past year, Ireland and Spain tried to persuade the EU to impose sanctions on Israel because of the war on Gaza and Lebanon, but they faced opposition from the pro-Israel axis, which includes Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary among others.
The EU states are calling for an immediate meeting of the Council responsible for the partnership agreement between the European Union and Israel, on the basis of which commercial relations take place, but such a meeting, which also depends on the Israeli side, has not been held.
Since the beginning of the year, Ireland, Spain along with other countries have demanded the suspension of the partnership agreement, with the support of the European Union Foreign Relations Commissioner Josep Borrell, who announced a future meeting of the Council last May, but it was not conducted, due to the opposition of European countries and the Israeli rejection of its discussion.
Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin said in a previous statement that Ireland and Spain will continue to pressure the European Union countries to review relations with Israel, and to reassess the partnership agreement between the EU and Tel Aviv.
The Irish society is witnessing a wide movement against the genocide war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza, as many periodic demonstrations were held in various Irish cities and towns in solidarity with Gaza.
The speech of the former Irish Prime Minister, Leo Faradkar, who recently resigned, created a great resonance, in which he indicated that the reason for the Irish sympathy for the Palestinian people is that “the people of Gaza suffer from pain similar to those that the Irish experienced in the past.”
