THE Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has condemned the news that Irish airspace has allegedly been used by Israeli planes to transfer weapons and explosives from the US to be used in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
IPSC is now calling on people to join their upcoming protests, including a protest at Shannon Airport at 2pm on Sunday September 8.
The condemnation comes after a series of investigative reports by The Ditch website, which stated that Irish airspace has been used on multiple occasions in recent weeks by Israeli planes carrying military munitions.
In the days since the reports were published, Taoiseach Simon Harris had said he is seeking information on reports that Israeli planes were carrying munitions from the US through Irish airspace.
The Taoiseach said clear protocols would need to be followed for such weaponry to be brought through Irish airspace.
IPSC chairperson Zoë Lawlor takes the view that these revelations by The Ditch make a mockery of Ireland’s neutrality.
She also hit out that reports shine a very poor light on the Irish government’s repeated claims before now that Irish airspace is not being used to transport weapons or military tech being used in Israel’s campaign against the people of Gaza.
“We have long called for an end to use of Irish airspace by the US military, a robust inspection regime for suspect planes entering Irish airspace or airports, and an end to the exemptions granted by the Irish government,” Ms Lawlor said.
“That Israeli planes can simply fly over Ireland — being directed by Irish air traffic controllers — while carrying weapons destined to murder more Palestinians is unspeakable, and a legal and moral outrage.”
Mr Lawlor said that “the Irish government needs to act now to ensure that no weapon, explosive, bomb, bullet, helmet, component, or piece military tech destined for the genocidal apartheid state comes via Ireland”.
This, she continued, coupled with news that the Irish government and the Defence Forces are “making noises about green-lighting yet another drone deal with an Israeli arms company”, proves that the government is in no way serious about its commitment to justice for Palestinians.
“The Taoiseach has spoken about the need to use ‘levers’ as if the government has no power to use them. The reality is there’s no end of levers the Irish government can use to end Irish complicity in this genocide — from the Occupied Territories Bill to the Arms Embargo Bill to sanctions — but they refuse to pull a single one. It seems that, once again, trade trumps international law, and drones are more important than Palestinian lives.”
Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan has also repeatedly called for an end to the US Military use of Shannon Airport.
Senator Gavan has detailed how the Biden Administration has sent huge numbers of munitions to Israel, including more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since last year.
“Between the commencement of the genocide last October and recent weeks, the United States transferred at least 14,000 MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small diameter bombs, and a host of other munitions,” Senator Gavan claimed.
“These US bombs and munitions are being used to blow up men, women, and children in hospitals, schools, refugee camps, family homes, apartments, nurseries, playgrounds and places of worship. They have resulted in the deaths of at least 38,000 Palestinians, including 15,000 children and 10,000 women – all innocent, all slaughtered with US munitions and bombs.”
The County Limerick politician believes that the Irish government must now address Shannon Airport’s role in this.
“There have been 11 direct flights to and from Israel since October 7 and 85 additional US Military flights to distribution points across the Middle East. We all know the role of the US in this. Right now Shannonwatch have stepped up protest vigils at the airport to every weekend to highlight this issue and I commend their actions. I have said for years that there should be no room for the US Military in Shannon. This is not a new position; it is the position that Sinn Féin has adopted for decades,” Senator Gavan said.
Commenting previously to the Limerick Post, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign affairs told this newspaper that “in respect of military aircraft, the only transit to Israel has been of senior political and military officials from the US travelling for meetings in the region”.
The spokesman explained that “the permission given by Ireland to foreign military or state aircraft to overfly or land in the State is fully compatible with Ireland’s policy of military neutrality.”
