THERE HAVE BEEN calls for Ireland to follow in France’s footsteps and ban Israeli ministers from entering Ireland.
Fianna Fáil TD for Louth Erin McGreehan has said the government must follow the lead of France, who have moved to ban Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country following his taunting of Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces.
In the video, dozens of activists are seen forced to kneel with their foreheads to the ground and their hands tied with the Israeli national anthem playing in the background.
The clip, which was captioned “Welcome to Israel”, showed Ben-Gvir heckling the activists while waving an Israeli flag.
“This is an opportunity for Ireland to align with our European counterparts and send a clear message ahead of assuming the role of the European Presidency,” she said.
The Journal asked Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan if Ireland could legally take similar actions. He did not rule out such actions stating that there are legal mechanisms to allow such a move, if warranted.
‘Egregious behaviour’
“We can certainly exclude people from Ireland, and there are certain statutory tests that need to be complied with in order for such individuals to be excluded. Obviously, if somebody reaches such level of egregious behaviour that we don’t want them in Ireland as a sovereign state, we can seek their exclusion. That’s something that we always keep under consideration,” said O’Callaghan.
‘Ireland must follow suit’
McGreehan said France has acted this week and Slovenia banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country last July.
“Ireland must now follow suit. There is a strong precedent for doing so.
“The treatment of Irish and European citizens who were detained and publicly humiliated should have repercussions. This is about sending a message to Israel, to Europe and to the wider world about where Ireland stands and what we stand for ahead of the European Presidency,” she said.
“This is a small but impactful action and there is no reason Ireland cannot take it given that many of our European partners have already done so,” she added.
Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee has said she hopes a law banning the importation of goods to Ireland from illegal Israeli settlements will be in place by the Dáil’s summer recess.
However, the Bill has come under criticism from the opposition, for the exclusion of services from it.
Senator Frances Black, who proposed the Bill in 2018, has condemned the exclusion of services, saying that “Government still haven’t given any coherent, detailed justification for this beyond short soundbites.”
“When the Bill finally hits the floor of the Dáil in the coming weeks I will be working with all opposition parties to table amendments to include services,” she said. “That has been my clear position since 2018 and I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”
“The ban should be comprehensive and include all trade, both goods and services,” Black added.