Ireland said open to buying Israeli drones despite being fierce critic over Gaza war
Irish military sources tell newspaper there are ‘no restrictions’ on purchasing military equipment from Israel, noting its global reputation for drone production
Amid the war in Gaza, Ireland has emerged as one of the European nations most critical of Israel, with Dublin officially recognizing a Palestinian state, joining allegations of genocide against Israel in the World Court, and maintaining a steady stream of criticism against Israel in various EU forums.
Nonetheless, the Irish military is open to considering bids from Israeli firms for an upcoming tender for a fleet of drones, and over the last decade has purchased millions of euros’ worth of military equipment from Israeli defense firms, according to a Wednesday report in the Irish Times.
Ireland’s Defence Forces Corps of Engineers has opened a tender to purchase 14 unarmed military drones to be used for “surveillance, survey, inspection and search and rescue,” in addition to classified missions, the report said, a package with an estimated total price tag of €600,000 ($667,000).
Israeli defense firms are “well-positioned to secure the contract” as a “world leader in drone technology,” the report said, citing unnamed sources in the Irish military.
Ireland’s defense ministry told the Irish Times that there “were no restrictions on bidding for the new contract” from Israeli companies and “there has been no change of policy regarding defense forces use of Israeli-made military equipment.”
“Such tender competitions are open to any company or country subject to the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. There are no such restrictions or embargoes in place on Israel or Israeli companies,” the ministry said in its statement.
The Irish government and various cultural figures have a long history of hostility to the Jewish state, and Ireland has historically favored the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.
Ireland was the last European Union country to allow an Israeli embassy to open, in 1993, and was the first to call for a Palestinian state, in 1980. It has spearheaded criticism of Israel at the United Nations.
Among European Union nations, Ireland has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s conduct in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, launched in response to the Hamas-led assault in southern Israel on October 7, in which thousands of Gazans killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Ireland, together with Norway and Spain, officially recognized Palestinian statehood in May, a largely symbolic move that was decried by Israel. Dublin has also called for a review of EU trade agreements with Israel, and joined in South Africa’s ongoing International Court of Justice case in which Israel is accused of genocide while fighting the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Despite this intense criticism, over the last ten years the Irish government has paid more than €8.5 million ($9.45 million) to various Israeli arms manufacturers, with about half that sum going to Aeronautics Defense Systems, a drone manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Israeli government-owned Rafael, according to the Irish Times report.
Ireland continues to pay the firm €295,000 ($328,000) annually for maintenance and support for drones already in use by Ireland’s military, the report noted, as unmanned aircraft of various types have become an increasingly important aspect of contemporary warfare.
JTA contributed to this report.
