Melike Pala
21 April 2026•Update: 21 April 2026
Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee on Tuesday called for the European Union to take action against what she described as a "country that is very clearly violating human rights," urging the suspension of the EU-Israel agreement or, at a minimum, its trade provisions.
Speaking to journalists ahead of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, McEntee said Ireland, alongside Spain and Slovenia, had written to the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling for a review and possible suspension of the agreement with Israel in light of developments in the Middle East.
"We need to, as an EU uphold our fundamental values," McEntee said, stressing that countries the bloc has agreements with must comply with international law and human rights obligations.
She referred to the recent Israeli death penalty bill, which she said disproportionately targeted Palestinians, calling the move "completely unacceptable."
On that basis, McEntee said, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain had requested "a suspension of the Israeli agreement, if not, then a suspension of the trade elements" of the deal.
She added that there was a growing shift among EU leaders, noting "clear dissatisfaction and annoyance" with Israel's recent actions.
The Irish minister also pointed to what she described as a worsening situation in the occupied West Bank, citing the approval of 34 new settlements in recent weeks and an escalation in violence.
"We are witnessing and experiencing an unprecedented and an unacceptable escalation of violence in the West Bank," McEntee said, adding that EU members must respond collectively to have a meaningful impact.
