TRAVEL BANS ON Israeli ministers does not go far enough, Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee has said as she pushes for EU trade sanctions against Israel.
Speaking at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Strasbourg, McEntee said the “credibility of the EU” is now at stake in terms of the response of Member States to the actions of the Israel.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas confirmed this morning that member states have proposed that sanctions be imposed on Israel national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Kallas said this would be discussed today, but she said: “We don’t have the necessary unanimity that we need for this decision.”
Earlier this month, Ireland moved impose a travel ban on Israel national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“Ireland has obviously issued a travel ban on both ministers, as have many other member states, but we have been consistent in our position, and in particular what I have consistently called for, along with other member states, is that we would focus on a ban in trade,” said McEntee.
She said the travel ban proposal ban on Israeli ministers up for discussion today with her EU colleagues she doesn’t believe goes far enough.
McEntee said a number of member states are moving their position as they witness the actions by the Israeli government.
“I think other member states are now starting to see that this cannot be allowed to continue with impunity, and so I would be urging colleagues today, those that have not perhaps taken that decision, to push for the Commission to put more on the table.
“We do have the trade association agreement on the table, the possibility to suspend that, but I believe we need to make sure that we have an action that would ban trade completely with the illegal occupied territories, that can be done through trade,” she said.
McEntee said the suspension of trade in the EU Israel Association Agreement needs to be voted on and agreed at the next European Council meeting.
“It is completely unacceptable that Israel continues to take the actions that it has with impunity,” said McEntee, who said the EU needs to respond decisively.