Ireland to take soundings over EU joining UK-led sanctions against far-right Israeli ministers
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has already criticised one of the two men – the Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the National Religious Party-Religious Zionism.
He and the Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are to be sanctioned by the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
The move has angered Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in connection with alleged war crimes.
Norway was previously involved with Ireland in a co-ordinated move to recognise a Palestinian state, which included diplomatic contact with Spain, Belgium, Malta and Slovenia last year.
Ireland will explore possible sanctions from as early as next week, when Mr Martin attends a conference on a two-state solution, convened in New York by co-hosts France and Saudi Arabia.
Sources said the contacts in New York could then potentially feed into discussion at an EU summit in Brussels the following week.
EU high representative for foreign affairs Kaja Kallas has been monitoring the move of the UK-led bloc, none of which are EU members.
An Irish government source said: 'We have pushed for such sanctions at EU level, including at the recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on May 20, but it requires unanimity and that isn't there for sanctioning these individuals at this point.'
Mr Martin is also pursuing the suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement, which would have a paralysing effect on Israeli exports.
He told the Dáil earlier this month: 'I believe the agreement should now be suspended, pending a review,' adding that Ireland and Spain had first called for scrutiny of the deal under its human rights provisions.
Mr Martin said he was aware of 'reprehensible' comments from Mr Smotrich.
He said Mr Smotrich had been 'speaking openly about conquering Gaza, and, with God's help, pushing the population south and into third countries'.
'So this is a senior minister of the Israeli government articulating in no uncertain terms what the agenda is – and it is absolutely reprehensible,' the Taoiseach added.
'It is also absolutely unacceptable that innocent people were abducted and remain hostages so long after October 7, 2023.'
He said it was 'wholly unacceptable' to contemplate the mass displacement of people in Gaza, or to talk of permanent occupation.
'Not only is it an affront to decency and to international law, but history tells us that it offers no solution.'
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