Sinn Féin Kildare TDs call on Kildare-based Powell Electronics to end complicity in Israel’s war machine
29 April 2025
Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, has today expressed outrage following revelations that Powell Electronics, based in Clane, Co. Kildare, has sent shipments of electronic connectors directly to Israel’s Elbit Systems — a major supplier of weapons and military technology used in the genocide in Gaza.
Deputy Ní Raghallaigh, who hand-delivered a formal letter of protest to the company this morning with members of the Kildare Palestine Solidarity Campaign (KPSC), described the revelations, first reported in The Ditch, as “shocking and utterly unacceptable.”
The letter demands an immediate end to all shipments to Elbit Systems, a public statement affirming ethical business practices, and a full review of the company’s policies to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.
Teachta Ní Raghallaigh said:
“No one came out to speak to us today, but we know they were listening behind closed doors.
“Powell Electronics is operating in our community, and the people of Kildare will not stand by while a company in our county contributes to the machinery of war. We will not be made complicit in genocide.
“This is not just a matter of foreign policy or international law. This is also a local issue. It’s about what kind of community we are. The good people of Kildare believe in justice, peace, and human rights. That’s who we are.”
Sinn Féin TD for North Kildare, Réada Cronin, voiced her support and confirmed she would be joining the campaign later today.
Teachta Cronin said:
“There is no moral grey area here. “Any connection — however indirect — to war crimes and crimes against humanity must be severed immediately. We in Kildare will not be silent.”
As first reported by The Ditch, Powell Electronics dispatched two shipments to Elbit’s Cyclone plant in Karmiel, Israel, in October and November 2024.
Elbit Systems is heavily linked to the production of components for F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, both of which have been used extensively in Israel’s military operations in Gaza — operations widely condemned by human rights organisations and under investigation for potential war crimes.
KPSC is calling on Powell Electronics management to respond to their letter this week, and has pledged to continue public pressure and mobilisation until a full and transparent disengagement from Elbit Systems is confirmed.
