Irish-Israeli trade buoyant despite war as calls for ceasefire renewed
In Larry Cork Cummins Cork Rally Centre City Campaign Saturday Palestine Solidarity The Picture: On
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces expand their operations in Rafah.
Guterres also called for “the unconditional release of all captives held by Hamas as well as an immediate surge in humanitarian aid” into Gaza.
Some 300,000 people have been forced to flee Rafah in recent days as Israel pushes further into the city, extending its evacuation order.
And, as the war escalates, new figures show that Irish imports of Israeli goods have not been impacted by the war.
The most recent data available shows that Ireland imported around €3.6bn worth of Israeli goods in 2023 and that for the first two months of this year, that figure is €608m.
Recent data from Israel’s central bureau of statistics shows Ireland in its top 10 export markets, with a trade surplus of over €1.5bn.
Figures released by the Department of the Taoiseach show Ireland imported over €3.4bn worth of "machinery and transport equipment", with nearly €600m this year.
Another €60m of chemical products was imported in 2023, with just over €10.5m in food and live animals.
The figures also show that Ireland exported more than €140m worth of goods to Israel in January and February of this year, largely made up of chemical products and machinery.
Ireland exported over €500m worth of products to Israel last year, according to figures released earlier this month.
Ireland and Spain have asked the European Commission for an urgent review of whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the EU/Israel association agreement.
However, that review has not yet taken place, frustrating some in Government.
The agreement is the basis for the EU's trade relations with Israel and was introduced in June 2000.
It "aims to provide an appropriate legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the EU and Israel".
The Labour Party's candidate in the European elections for Ireland South, Niamh Hourigan, said that the figures show that despite the ongoing bombardment of Gaza, international demands for boycotts have had little impact.
“The Irish Government needs to cease investment and trade in the occupied territories altogether.
"The volume of exports to Israel will shock Irish people who have been calling week in, week out for radical action from the Government to deal with the Netanyahu led genocide in Palestine.
"Famine hovers over the people of Gaza as a horrific spectre but companies continue to export at leisure."
The Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign march heard similar calls.
West Bank-based human rights organisation Al-Haq’s general director Shawan Jabarin said all trade in Ireland with all Israeli companies should be stopped, not just trade with companies in the occupied territories.
He told the march, which was the 30th demonstration since the war began, that severing economic ties would not damage the Irish economy.
“Israel needs to be held accountable for its crimes and it needs to feel painful ecomist consequences for what it has done.
“If they don’t, Israel will keep repeating the crimes they commit.”
- Additional reporting by the Associated Press