A bill which calls for banning the import of Israeli settlement products passed its first reading in the Irish Senate on Wednesday.

Twenty-five parliament members voted in favour of the bill, 20 opposed and 14 abstained.

The bill needs to go through two more readings before it is passed in to law.

The bill was sponsored by independent Senator Frances Black along with co-signators Senators Alice-Mary Higgins, Lynn Ruane, Grace O’Sullivan, Colette Kelleher, John Dolan and David Norris.

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In February, the Irish government pointed to constitutional difficulties in the bill because, under European Union law, Ireland cannot ban the importation of products available elsewhere in the Union.

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan described the bill as “anti- Semitic”.