Ireland will cease purchases of Israeli military equipment and ongoing contracts are to be put under review, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has ordered, citing the continuing violence in Gaza.
The move makes Ireland the first EU country to cease defence purchases from Israel since the war started almost a year ago.
Ireland has a long-standing relationship with Israeli arms companies, with the Department of Defence awarding well over €20 million in contracts in the last two decades, including for drones, ammunition and radar systems.
Israeli companies were also seen as a potential bidder for an upcoming €600,000 contract for 14 new drones for the Defence Forces.
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Mr Martin, who is also Minister for Defence, said neither this contract, nor any other, will be awarded to Israeli arms companies.
In a statement on Thursday evening he cited the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory amounts to an illegal annexation.
He said the legal consequences of the opinion are still being assessed but in the meantime it is not appropriate that Ireland “should procure military equipment or material from Israel”.
Mr Martin said he has “directed officials in the Department of Defence to review defence procurement packages and to ensure that no such further procurement takes place”.
[ Israeli companies banned from winning State defence contracts - TánaisteOpens in new window ]
Ireland’s only ongoing contract with Israeli arms manufacturers is a €295,000 a year contract with Aeronautics Defence Industries, a military drone manufacturer owned by the Israeli government, for maintenance of drones purchased for the Defence Forces.
It is not yet clear if Ireland can legally cancel this contract or what implications that would have for its drone fleet.
The Tánaiste’s comments mark a reversal from the position stated by the Department of Defence last week that Israeli companies remained eligible for Irish military contracts as the country is not subject to international sanctions. Ireland must conform with EU procurement rules, the department said.
The Government now appears to consider the ICJ’s opinion as providing justification to effectively ban military purchases from Israel, said Tanya Lalor of Method Consults, which carries out research for NGOs and has recently analysed military contracts between Ireland and Israel.
Ireland has an obligation under the Geneva Convention and the Genocide Convention to prevent breaches of violations of humanitarian law, including through the use of bilateral relations and trade policy, she said.
The Government has also called for the EU-Israel trade agreement to be reviewed due to concerns over Israel’s actions in Gaza. However, not all member states support this.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, prime minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden said: “I don’t think that is the appropriate way to proceed.
“I think it must be part of a process of talking to both the Israelis and the Palestinians with all the complexities of who is on the Palestinian side to make progress there.”
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