Israeli security personnel have been documented receiving a handcuffed Palestinian deportee from the United States at Ben-Gurion International Airport, following flights that made refuelling stops at Shannon Airport in Ireland. The image, published by Haaretz, shows the moment of transfer, highlighting the international nature of these deportation operations.
Irish Political Outrage Over Airport Use
Politicians across Ireland have expressed strong condemnation, describing the use of Shannon Airport in County Clare for planes deporting Palestinians from the US to Israel as "reprehensible". This follows a Guardian investigation revealing that a private jet owned by Donald Trump donor Gil Dezer was chartered by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for two separate deportation flights to Israel.
The flights departed the United States on 21st January and 1st February, both utilising Shannon Airport in western Ireland for refuelling purposes. The Irish government has stated that as these were "non-traffic" stops without passenger pick-up or drop-off, they did not require prior approval from the transport department.
Political Figures Voice Concerns
Duncan Smith, foreign affairs spokesperson for Ireland's Labour Party, told the Irish Times: "It is absolutely reprehensible that any ICE deportation flights would be allowed to stop and refuel in Shannon. The taoiseach and minister for transport must intervene and ensure this ends." He emphasised that "Ireland cannot in any way be complicit in these ICE flights."
Roderic O'Gorman, leader of the Green Party, described the revelations as "deeply disturbing", particularly that Shannon Airport "is being used to facilitate the cruel actions of Donald Trump's ICE". Patricia Stephenson, foreign affairs spokesperson for the Social Democrats, called for government clarification on whether authorities "knowingly facilitated these flights", suggesting human rights violations may have occurred.
The Deportation Operation Details
The private jet involved is owned by Gil Dezer, whose family property company has developed Trump-branded residential towers in Miami. Dezer has publicly expressed admiration for the former US president, claiming a twenty-year friendship. According to Human Rights First, which monitors deportation flights, Dezer's aircraft - which he has called his "favourite toy" - was first chartered for removal operations last October.
The organisation reports the plane has been used to transport detainees to multiple destinations including Kenya, Liberia, Guinea, and Eswatini before its recent Israel-bound missions. Dezer stated via email that he was "never privy to the names" of passengers or flight purposes when his jet was chartered through Journey Aviation, a Florida-based company regularly used by US authorities to source private aircraft.
Passenger Experiences and Costs
Some deportees reported being shackled at wrists and ankles throughout the journey. Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, they appear to have been transported to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. One passenger, 24-year-old Maher Awad from the West Bank who had lived nearly a decade in the US with a partner and baby in Michigan, described being "dropped off like animals on the side of the road", needing to seek help from local residents.
Aviation industry sources estimate these operations cost ICE between $400,000 and $500,000. A US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined to comment specifically on Israel-bound flights but stated: "If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period."
The revelations have sparked significant debate about Ireland's role in international deportation operations and the ethical implications of allowing refuelling stops for such missions at Shannon Airport.
