Palestine ally Ireland under fire for allowing weapons transfers to Israel
In November, three activists from Palestine Action Eire crashed a modified van through a barrier at Shannon Airport, drove onto the runway towards a United States military aircraft and sprayed green paint on a parked Boeing 737-700.
The action was in protest against what they saw as Ireland’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza through the US military’s continued use of Shannon Airport. At the time, Israel’s onslaught had killed more than 69,000 Palestinians.
According to data collected by the military plane tracker Shannonwarport, at least 1,300 US military and military-contracted civilian aircraft have flown within 60km (37 miles) of Shannon Airport since January 2024, including at least 45 flights that travelled to or from Israel.
“I took part in the action out of a general frustration with the Irish establishment and society,” activist Conan Kavanagh told Al Jazeera.
After spending two days in Limerick Prison on remand, he paid 10,000 euros ($11,500) in bail money. The three activists awaiting trial have been charged with criminal damage and interfering with the “operation, management or safety of an airport”.
“For a country that prides itself on a shared history of colonialism and resistance, I think we’re incredibly limited in how we express support for the Palestinian people,” Kavanagh said. “A lot of Palestinian activism in Ireland is centred around marches, speeches and rallies, which while good needs to be escalated upon with more actively disruptive protests if we hope to actually force the hands of the state.”
Why Does Europe Invoke International Law on Iran, but Ignore Gaza? – Analysis
A notable shift is unfolding across Europe. Governments that, for over two years since October 7, 2023, have resisted applying international law to Israel’s genocide in Gaza are now invoking that same legal framework with urgency in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran in March 2026.
This is not a marginal development. It is being articulated at the highest levels of mainstream European politics.
On March 24, 2026, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that the war on Iran is “contrary to international law,” explicitly rejecting claims of self-defense justification. Days later, on March 29, 2026, a legal analysis by Germany’s parliamentary experts concluded that the attacks violate the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force due to the absence of both Security Council authorization and a valid self-defense basis.
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had already taken a clear stance earlier in the month. On March 4, 2026, he described the US-Israeli strikes as “illegal,” a position he reiterated on March 25, 2026, while also refusing to allow Spanish bases to be used for military operations.
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto similarly stated on March 5, 2026, that the attacks clearly breach international law.
Even more cautious actors are signaling discomfort. On March 2, 2026, French officials under President Emmanuel Macron stressed that such unilateral attacks should be addressed within the framework of the United Nations. By March 26, 2026, France was emphasizing that any future military engagement in the region must be strictly defensive and anchored in international legitimacy.
At the European Union level, on March 1 and again on March 19, 2026, statements led by Kaja Kallas stressed adherence to the UN Charter, without endorsing the legality of the war.
These positions stand in sharp contrast to Europe’s posture during Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Silence on Gaza
Since October 7, 2023, European governments have largely shielded Israel from legal accountability, consistently invoking its “right to defend itself” while avoiding or dismissing the legal implications of its actions.
This was not entirely uniform—countries such as Spain and Ireland, along with a few others, adopted more critical positions, calling for ceasefires and, at times, expressing support for accountability mechanisms.
However, the dominant posture among major European powers—including Germany, France, and Italy—remained one of political protection for Israel, even as the scale of destruction in Gaza intensified.
Simple reason, greed > morality. Or rather the West's morality is nothing but virtue signalling if not a blatant smoke screen to target 'undesirables'. Iran can and is hurting the European economy, while Europe is/was making money, enjoying the fruits of participating in the Gaza genocide.
