Ireland Blasts EU's "Failing" Response to Israel
Speaking in New York on Monday night ahead of the UN General Assembly, Helen McEntee called on EU member states to abandon piecemeal national responses in favor of unified action against the Israeli government, according to an Irish broadcaster.
"We need to act collectively. We are failing here, to be quite honest," she said.
"Our credibility is gone on this issue and if we don't act collectively then the decisions of the Israeli government will not change."
McEntee confirmed Dublin is pushing for EU-wide sanctions targeting Israeli goods and services, arguing that measures taken by individual nations carry only limited weight on their own.
Her comments come as Irish legislation barring imports of Israeli goods produced in the occupied territories took effect this week — a move McEntee said has already prompted other governments to weigh similar bans.
"While we've made decisions—we've recognised Palestine, and more countries have done that; we've implemented our own legislation, and other countries are talking about doing the same; we've put sanctions on individuals—it's not enough," she said.
"We need to be responding more effectively and more collectively. For that legislation to have an impact, it needs to be done on an EU-wide basis."
The minister reiterated Ireland's stance that Israel's actions breach international law, going further to state: "We are seeing an attempt to erase a population."
Pressed on Ireland's forthcoming international football fixtures against Israel, McEntee declined to issue a directive, saying it was up to individuals to decide whether to watch the matches.
She added that the Irish government's priority going forward is delivering "more concrete actions" in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
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