Ashe Tambke covers the mounting allegations against the Irish state for its connection with the conflict within Gaza and businesses in illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.
In a series of articles published by The Ditch in August and September, it was reported that more than 55 tonnes of munitions were transported to Israel using Irish sovereign airspace on six flights from October 2023 to February 2024. The Ditch claims to have access to invoices which support these claims.
In direct response to these claims, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin have denied that Irish airports or sovereign airspace have been used to transport weapons bound for Israel. The Tánaiste further added that “people should stop trying to muddy the waters in that respect.”
A press release by Shannonwatch, an activist group which protests the use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace by American military aircraft, accused the Irish government of being complicit in “Apartheid Israel’s genocide in Gaza” by not inspecting US military aircraft when they land in Shannon.
The group demonstrated at Shannon Airport, along with the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, on September 8 in protest of the “heinous crimes against humanity”, which it deems the Irish state to be complicit in.
A demonstration in Dublin on August 23rd, protesting the arrival of US congressional delegates to Dublin on the invitation of the Irish government, ended when Gardaí violently dispersed a crowd of peaceful protestors.
In several posts made by Action for Palestine Ireland (API), one of the groups protesting outside of the Dáil chambers, Gardaí can be seen forcefully removing protesters to make way for a coach. API reported that two activists were arrested and detained in Kevin Street Garda Station overnight, while others received injuries during the Gardaí’s intervention.
These events come on the back of an Al-Jazeera article published on August 23, which called attention to companies headquartered in Ireland that help illegal Israeli settlements conduct business. In this article, it is shown that Etsy, whose international headquarters are in Dublin, does business with Israeli settlements in Palestine. Attached to this article is a report compiled by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, which details Etsy’s business with shops in these settlements which have been condemned as illegal under international law.
In 2019, Airbnb, which has its international headquarters in Dublin, began allowing illegal Israeli settler homes to be listed on its platform after being sued by Israeli lawyers. Booking.com, which has an office in Dublin, was recently examined by Dutch criminal investigators in May for similar illegal settlement rentals.
To avail of Ireland’s low corporate tax, many multinational corporations have located their European and international headquarters in Ireland. This has put Ireland at the center of business done by illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine.
Despite publications like CNN calling Ireland the “most pro-Palestinian nation in Europe,” the Irish government has been put under increasing pressure by pro-Palestinian activist groups in Ireland to take more action against Israel for its role in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and the destruction of critical infrastructure in Gaza. Ireland’s recognition of the state of Palestine, together with Spain and Norway, has not satisfied the demands of these activist groups, which continue to demand for greater intervention.
Since October 7th, over 500 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, have been killed by the Israeli military.