Ireland Debates Controversial Ban on Israeli Settlement Goods as Samaria Leader Urges U.S. Sanctions
The Irish Parliament is set to hold a decisive debate this Tuesday on a bill that would criminalize the import of goods produced in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria—a move drawing sharp rebuke from Israeli leaders and international allies.
In a forceful response, Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan issued a letter to senior members of the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress, urging the United States to impose high tariffs or sanctions on Ireland should the legislation pass.
Dagan denounced the proposed bill as “antisemitic legislation that discriminates solely against Jews”, warning it violates human rights and directly contradicts U.S. policy under President Donald Trump, which officially recognized Judea and Samaria as non-occupied territory and upheld the legality of Israeli settlements under international law.
He further argued that the legislation rewards Palestinian Authority terrorism while punishing peaceful Israeli residents. “If Ireland passes an official law that boycotts Jews alone,” Dagan wrote, “it will crown itself as an antisemitic state. It would be the first time since the Holocaust that a European country enacts legislation specifically targeting Jews.”
Calling the bill part of the global BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, which the U.S. has repeatedly condemned, Dagan appealed for a strong American response:
“A country that turns antisemitic, contrary to U.S. policy, cannot be ignored by the free world. I call on the United States to impose economic sanctions on any country that supports such antisemitic boycott laws.”
If passed, the Irish bill would make Ireland the first EU country to criminalize trade with Israeli settlements, setting a controversial precedent that could reverberate across European capitals.
