In a contentious move, Ireland has decided to allow Israeli arms companies to sell weapons to the country, despite concerns raised by Irish lawmakers regarding arms sales from Israel due to the conflict in Gaza. The Irish Defence Forces are planning to procure 14 unmanned aerial vehicles worth €600,000 over a year for surveillance, survey, inspection, and search and rescue missions.
Although the Irish minister for defence raised reservations about purchasing military equipment from Israel earlier, stating that Ireland would not use Israeli arms to violate international law, Ireland currently uses Israeli-made military equipment. The procurement process for the UAVs is still in its early stages, with Israeli arms companies likely to secure the contract.
Despite criticism from campaigners about Ireland’s arms purchases from Israel, which have been used in Gaza, Ireland remains a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in the region. Ireland, alongside Spain and Norway, recognized Palestinian statehood in May, but calls persist for further actions like enacting the Occupied Territories Bill to ban goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements and end the export of Irish dual-use products to Israel.
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