Irish student protest against army’s use of Israeli technology

SANAA, Feb. 01 (YPA) – Students and staff from University College Cork (UCC) demonstrated outside the Mardyke complex, where the Irish Defence Forces launched its 2024 annual review, entitled “Climate Change, Security and Defence”, and denounced the use of Israeli technology in new helicopters being built for the Irish military, despite the government’s pledge not to buy military equipment from the Israeli occupation.

Dr. Ciaran Dawson, a spokesman for the university group, confirmed that the helicopters contained components made by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, whose drones have been widely used in airstrikes on Gaza.

Soph Brazel, a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, called the incident “ridiculous,” noting that the defense industry is one of the world’s biggest sources of environmental destruction, while the Irish government ignores this contradiction.