Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin Says EU Divisions Are Blocking Stronger Trade Sanctions on Israel

Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin has acknowledged that deep divisions among the European Union’s 27 members are preventing tougher economic measures against Israel, even as he condemns restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza and violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. ⠀ “At the European Union, there is divergence of opinion across the 27 member states,” Martin said. “It has been very difficult on the trade and economic front to get a 27-member-state position. That’s the unfortunate reality.” ⠀ Ireland has repeatedly pressed the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel, or at least its trade provisions. Those efforts have failed to secure sufficient support, although the bloc has separately sanctioned some violent Israeli settlers and activists. ⠀ Martin said the EU was the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, but argued that funding offered little relief if supplies could not reach people in Gaza. “It’s absolutely unacceptable the degree to which there’s been a blockage of vital humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said. ⠀ He also condemned continuing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, describing those responsible as “terrorist settlers” who were “driving Palestinians out of their land.” Such violence and displacement, he argued, undermine the possibility of a future Palestinian state alongside Israel. ⠀ The disagreement has left Ireland and other governments pushing for tougher measures without a common EU trade response. Martin’s comments distinguish the bloc’s financial support for Palestinians from its inability to agree on stronger economic pressure on Israel.