Kairos Ireland newsletter – May 2026

The disappearing West Bank

‘The West Bank is disappearing before our eyes – what will Ireland do?’

This is the alarming message from Katie Roxburgh, Christian Aid Programme Manager for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Following a recent visit to Israel and the West Bank she describes the escalating violence against Palestinians by illegal Israeli Settlers and Israeli state actors (soldiers and police). More than 1000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7th October 2023….nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes in 2025…entire Bedouin villages no longer exist…farming families have been forced from their land to make way for Israeli settlers.

After almost a year since the Oireachtas joint committee on foreign affairs unanimously recommended that there should be a trade ban in goods and services between Ireland and the Settlements there has been no real action. The Irish Government has failed to enact its own watered-down version of the Occupied Territories Bill. The excuse is that enacting the bill is ‘complicated’ and that Irish action should be in line with EU positions.

Eye-witness accounts of settler and Israeli state Violence

On Tuesday 21st April three recently returned Ecumenical Accompaniers who had served on the World Council of Churches eappi human rights programme gave a stark presentation in the Adio Visual Room of Leinster House. The three Ecumenical Accompaniers served in the South Hebron Hills, Bethlehem, and the Jordan Valley. They all spoke about violence aimed at driving Palestinian pastoral communities from their land. This involves attacks on Palestinian villagers by settler thugs armed with metal tipped wooden staves and automatic weapons, the burning and demolition of homes, and the shooting at close range of a Palestinian man. The state of Israel supplies the settlers with off-road vehicles and with automatic rifles to enable them to carry out their brutal intimidation of Palestinian communities. After one Palestinian villager had been shot by a settler the Israeli army detained all the Palestinian men in the village, while allowing the perpetrators to go free. This is classic apartheid in action.

OCHA – a new map of the West Bank reflecting settler and state violence

OCHA – the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published a New West Bank map to showing the impact of settler attacks in 2023 – 2025. The rash of blue spots on the map show that violence by Israeli State Actors (IDF) and settlers is systematic and widespread throughout the whole of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The extraordinary thing is that European governments know that this is happening but allow Israel to get away with this activity without consequence.

In a monthly snapshot for March 2026 OCHA records the following list of casualties, property damage and displacement in the West Bank –

• 21 Palestinians have been killed and 306 have been injured.
• There have been 206 attacks by Israeli Settlers resulting casualties and/or property damage.
• 521 Palestinians have been displaced (ie driven from their homes).
• Also during March 6 Israelis were injured

Call on EU to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement

Despite Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its continuing violation of Human Rights in the West Bank Israel still enjoys preferential trading relationships with the EU. More than one million EU citizens have signed a petition demanding a review of this trade agreement. A letter has been signed by over 70 Human Rights organisations including Kairos Ireland and sent to the President and Vice President of the EU Commission and to Foreign Ministers of EU states. We wait for the response of the EU Commission.

Meanwhile the Irish government continues to stall the passing the promised priority legislation to ban trade between Ireland and the illegal Settlements. The lame excuse from government sources is that it is ‘complicated’ and that Irish action must comply with EU law. Spain has banned trade with the Settlements, so why can’t Ireland do the same?

Nakba Day reflection

Nakba Day will be marked throughout the world on Friday 15th May. This day remembers the catastrophe of 1947/48 then Zionist militias forced 750,000 Palestinians from their homes to make way for the State of Israel. Over 500 villages were emptied of people and bulldozed. Trees were planted where there had once been vibrant Palestinian communities.

National demonstration Saturday 16th May

The next national demonstration for Palestine takes place in Dublin against the backdrop of continuing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank with soldiers and settlers killing about 1 person a day. At the same time the US-Iran war continues as does the Israeli assault on southern Lebanon.

World Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress in Dublin

From the 26-28th June the second World Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress takes place in Dublin. There are open sessions that will be of interest to activists for justice and peace in Palestine/Israel. There is also a request for people who may be able to offer hospitality for delegates.

John Parkin
Chairperson Kairos Ireland
May 2026