More than a tonne of guns transported to Israel over Ireland last week

Israel’s national airline transported more than 1,300 kilogrammes of guns through Irish territory to Israel last week – despite The Ditch first reporting a month ago that the airline was illegally transporting munitions through the state.

Separately another EL AL flight from New York to Tel Aviv – which flew through Irish airspace nine days ago  – was carrying another shipment of firearms to Israel. 

Israelis have been “queuing” to buy Smith & Wesson handguns, according to media reports, with armed settlers rapidly seizing Palestinian land in the West Bank.

The carriage of munitions of war through Irish airspace without ministerial consent is an indictable criminal offence punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment. 

On Monday, 21 October, an EL AL flight from New York to Tel Aviv entered Irish sovereign airspace over county Mayo and later exited the state above Rush in north Dublin. It was carrying 1,338 kilogrammes of Smith & Wesson handguns, according to records obtained by The Ditch.

The day before another EL AL flight on the same route entered Ireland above county Kerry. There were 267 kilogrammes of Smith & Wesson guns onboard for delivery to Tel Aviv.

Smith & Wesson handguns typically weigh less than a kilogramme, meaning both flights likely carried hundreds of the US-made firearms.

The Ditch reported a month ago that EL AL was illegally using Irish airspace to transport munitions of war to the Israel Defense Forces.

Government also last week allowed three FedEx flights carrying munitions of war to Israel to pass through the state’s sovereign airspace, despite receiving advance warnings from The Ditch.

The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.