After a Sinn Féin MEP criticised Israeli lobbyists in the European Parliament the state of Israel spent thousands seeking to sue her.
According to leaked government files Israel tried to take legal action against Martina Anderson and investigated the possibility with law firm Van Bael and Bellis.
The European Investigative Collaborations provided The Ditch with the documents as part of its Israel Files investigation, based on material from whistleblower site Distributed Denial of Secrets.
The Ditch, along with Berlin-based journalist Yossi Bartal who worked on the EIC investigation, reported last month that Israel colluded with Fine Gael to defeat a Kildare County Council motion calling for an Irish government boycott of Israeli military equipment.
The European Jewish Congress criticised Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson in June 2016 after she told an EU meeting that Israeli lobbyists were “all over this place like a rash”.
The state of Israel hired €375 an-hour Van Bael and Bellis to “investigate the steps open to Israel against Martina Anderson”, according to the leaked records.
The firm billed the Israeli government €3,656 for “research (and) analysis of legal options available in reaction to MEP Anderson’s comment”.
This wasn’t the first time Israel targeted Anderson over her pro-Palestine views.
It barred the Sinn Féin politician from entering Gaza for the fourth time in two years, just months before her comments about Israeli lobbyists.
The state of Israel has been contacted for comment.
