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The Northern Ireland Assembly is set to hold a no-confidence vote on Monday against Education Minister Paul Givan, following controversy over his recent visit to Israel.

Parties backing the motion accused Givan of misusing ministerial resources to promote the trip, after his department published photos and a press release about his visit to a Jerusalem school. Several teachers’ unions also condemned the move and demanded that the statement be removed from the ministry’s website.

In response, Givan said that the Permanent Secretary and senior officials in his ministry had reviewed the matter and “concluded that all procedures were entirely sound and appropriate.”

The minister, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was among a group of unionist politicians who joined a six-day visit organized by the Israeli government.

According to a BBC report, the trip cost approximately £3,810, covering flights, accommodation, meals, and transport — all paid for by the Israeli embassy in London.

The controversy comes amid growing political divisions in the UK and Ireland over relations with Israel and the Gaza genocide. In May, Ireland, Spain, and Norway formally recognized the State of Palestine, prompting sharp criticism from Israel.

Separately, Irish President Michael D. Higgins recently urged the creation of a UN-led humanitarian force for Gaza, calling the situation there a “tragic genocide” and advocating for the use of Chapter VII of the UN Charter to bypass potential Security Council vetoes.

Higgins, who is nearing the end of his 14-year presidency, warned that a “world of impunity” threatens the foundations of international democracy.

READ: 96% of ‘incitement’ cases in Israel target Arabs since Ben-Gvir took office: Report

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.