European Parliament president Josep Borrell has been challenged over EU trade links with Israel by a representative of the Catholic hierarchy.
The issue arose after an address to the Forum on Europe at Dublin Castle in which Mr Borrell outlined his view that the parliament could be instrumental in addressing the EU's "democratic deficit".
In the discussion afterwards, Fr Eoin Cassidy of the Catholic Bishops' Conference asked Mr Borrell how the parliament could accept the continuation of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on trade "in the light of the well-documented human rights abuses either sanctioned or tolerated by the state of Israel".
He stressed it was not "an anti-Israeli question" because he could be equally critical of the Palestinian side, but he questioned the "sustainability" of the association agreement.
Responding, Mr Borrell said the parliament had no authority in this regard. "We can only put out opinions on the matter," he said. "We are a parliament, we are not an executive power."
