Ireland boycotts Elbit, and its PM's plane cannot land in fog

A modern executive jet purchased by the Irish government for 53 million euros cannot land safely in fog or difficult weather conditions because Dublin insisted on removing systems with Israeli technology produced by Elbit, as reported on Tuesday by media in the country.

The aircraft, a Falcon 6X model, is manufactured by the French company Dassault and usually includes a system called FalconEye located in the nose, which assists pilots in cases of fog and difficult weather conditions. However, because the system is manufactured by the Israeli company Elbit, the authorities in Ireland insisted on purchasing the aircraft with the system removed.

Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in the European Union, and the aversion to Israel there crosses political camps and has led the country to try and lead the suspension of relations between Israel and the EU.

As a defense company, Elbit is accused in Ireland of complicity in what the government calls "genocide" in the Gaza Strip. The aircraft was purchased at a high cost, replacing another aircraft that was used for flights by the Irish Prime Minister and other senior officials.

A former pilot in the squadron responsible for the government aircraft told the "Irish Times" that the Israeli system "gives the aircraft the ability to land in fog, while aircraft without the system would have to be diverted to alternative airports."

The Irish website TheJournal, which exposed the matter, said that removing the system "could impair the aircraft's landing ability in fog and difficult weather conditions."

The aircraft has the capacity to fly about 14 passengers. The French company Dassault defines the Elbit system as one that "provides unprecedented ability to navigate in all types of weather, at night or during the day." The system transmits information from its sensors to the cockpit.

While the Irish government told the site that "there is no limitation on the operational capabilities of the aircraft," the Irish site says that "knowledgeable sources believe that the lack of the Israeli system limits the range of options available to the aircraft's pilots."

The Irish decision to boycott Israeli products, announced in the name of opposition to the war in Gaza, stands out against the background of the fact that four new helicopters ordered from Airbus also include Israeli technology. This concerns the Hellonix system, produced jointly by Elbit and Airbus, which is considered a "critical" system for helicopter pilots, and one that cannot be removed or boycotted. An advanced Irish maritime patrol aircraft that was ordered also has Israeli radar systems.