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Israeli national airline El Al illegally transported a tonne of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) munitions of war through Irish territory on two flights in August – including a component delivered as part of a programme to “strengthen the security of the United States”.
The shipment included a target acquisition system and modular gunner sights for IDF tanks, among other Elbit Systems-made components, delivered through Irish sovereign airspace on 15 and 16 August.
Elbit Systems is the IDF’s largest weapons supplier.
One unidentified component in the shipment was supplied to Israel under the US Foreign Military Sales programme, according to shipping documents uncovered by The Ditch. It’s programme that allows the US to sell arms and services to foreign countries and is “a fundamental tool of US foreign policy”.
The carriage of munitions of war through Irish sovereign airspace is a criminal offence under Irish air navigation law.
Government refuses to enforce it against airlines but uses it to prosecute Shannon Airport activists.
The Ditch first reported in 2024 that El Al was illegally transporting weapons through Irish territory and later reported that the Israeli airline was stalling a probe into the allegations.
It subsequently emerged that El Al had resumed illegally transporting weapons parts through Ireland in April this year.
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