Tonnes of munitions of war were transported to Israel through Irish sovereign airspace yesterday morning.
Government knew four weeks ago that the same carrier, Silk Way West Airlines, had illegally transported explosives for the Israel Defense Force (IDF) over Ireland in April this year – after a report published on The Ditch.
It can also be revealed that another flight, operated by FedEx, carrying munitions of war to an Israeli air force base flew through Irish sovereign airspace just six days ago.
Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Gary Gannon told The Ditch, “Our own peacekeepers in southern Lebanon are now directly in the line of many of these munitions.”
His Sinn Féin counterpart Matt Carthy said, “Ministers have failed to adequately answer questions as to how our laws are apparently being repeatedly breached without consequence by a state that is currently perpetrating a genocide.”
It is a criminal offence to carry munitions of war – including weapon components – through Irish territory without permission from the Department of Transport.
Yesterday morning
Yesterday, 7 October at 10.44am, Silk Way West Airlines flight 7L8116 entered Irish sovereign airspace over county Donegal on its way from New York’s JFK to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
It had more than three tonnes of munitions of war onboard for delivery to the IDF’s F-35 base in Nevatim.
Another flight, operated by another carrier, carrying similar cargo made a similar journey through Irish territory last week.
A FedEx Express flight from Memphis, US to Cologne in Germany carrying six packages with munitions of war for F-35 fighter jets – used to bomb Gaza – went through Irish sovereign airspace off the coast of Cork last Wednesday, 2 October.
These six packages were flagged as International Traffic in Arms Regulations goods – a reference to the legislation governing the export of defence-related goods listed on the United States Munitions List.
ASL, an Irish airline based in Dublin, later transported the F-35 components from Cologne to Tel Aviv.
The IDF relies on the supply of F-35 combat jet components from the US and began stockpiling these parts last year to keep its fleet in the air.
Litigation has been launched in several countries to prevent the export of F-35 parts to Israel.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon called on taoiseach Simon Harris to raise the matter on his US visit this week.
“We can’t continue to allow weapons of annihilation to flow through our airspace and act as if it doesn’t make us complicit in the genocide Israel is perpetrating.
“The taoiseach is going to the US this week. No platitudes should be offered – he must stand up for our peacekeepers and give voice to Palestinians who are being slaughtered by Israel’s barbarism that is being enabled by the very weapons now being transported through our airspace,” he said.
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy called for immediacy from government. .
“The government must immediately address these latest reports that weapons bound for Israel have again been transported over Ireland,” he said.
The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.
