Ambassador Erlich’s statement regarding antisemitism in Ireland

Over the past year, we have witnessed an alarming increase in anti-Israel discourse in Ireland which has frequently mutated into delegitimisation of Israel as a country and also into antisemitism.

Criticism of Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, has often been replaced by deliberate vilification, incitement and libels. The obsessive focus on our country and the rhetoric used against it is very different to that used in relation to the many other tragic conflicts around the world, which curiously don’t seem to capture much public or official attention here.

There have been numerous political and so-called ‘social justice’ initiatives across Ireland that single out Israel for condemnation, sanction and boycott which, far from helping the Palestinian people only manifest as punitive actions against Israel - as if it were the only party responsible for the current war and conflict.

In addition to these anti-Israel initiatives, we have witnessed many “protests” by masked and aggressive activists not only against Israel, but also against Zionism - the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland. There have been orchestrated student encampments, events in the city billed as ‘funerals for Zionism’, the parading of the terrorist flags of Hamas and Hezbollah in the streets of Dublin and elsewhere and even calls to “globalize the intifada” espoused by sitting TD’s.

Alarmingly, school textbooks in Ireland which demonise Israel and the Jewish religion have been published and distributed throughout the country for years. Some public figures have denied Israel’s right to exist or to defend itself.

Shamefully, posters of the men, women and child hostages kidnapped from Israel and held captive by the Hamas terrorist organisation in Gaza have been ripped down or defaced, in an effort to dismiss and hide the atrocities committed against people in Israel and intimidate those who express empathy or support.

All of this, as well as other issues, have created an increasingly inhospitable environment for Jewish and Israeli communities in Ireland, who are just a tiny minority here. Many Jewish Irish citizens and Israelis who are employed here and contribute to Irish society, have expressed their anxiety and serious concerns. There has been at least one report of a targeted physical assault on a Jewish person in recent days.

The deliberate and orchestrated incitement against Israel, and the absence of balance in political discourse and news reporting here has resulted in a lot of commentary in the Israeli and international media about the safety of Ireland for Jewish people and Israelis. This is an issue that has now surpassed the focus on political relations between Ireland and Israel. Clearly something is wrong with that being the case.

It is important to note that there are still many Irish people who have expressed solidarity and support to us over the past year, but the general climate is worrying since these people often say that they are fearful of showing their support for Israel for fear of going against the typical narrative, which has become dominated by more extreme elements. For a non-Jewish person to say that they are afraid to wear a Star of David necklace or display an Israeli flag they own is a bad reflection on the situation in Ireland.

It seems that the government and opposition parties are competing with one other in terms of who can be the most anti-Israel in their desire to pass the so-called “Occupied Territories” Bill. The proposed Bill is a discriminatory attempt that aims to target Israel, while ironically criminalising any Irish people who may fall foul of it, if implemented. The Bill represents yet another attack on the legitimacy of the Jewish people to have a state in their ancestral homeland. It will do nothing more for Palestinian people than the Irish government’s decision in May to recognise a Palestinian state did. Instead, if passed, the Bill would be seen by Hamas and other extremists as a reward, just as Hamas welcomed the Irish government’s decision in May.

In light of all of these worrying initiatives and developments, I am concerned for the future of the Jewish and Israeli communities in Ireland.

I have not heard any commitments from politicians during the election campaign to assure the safety of the communities and combat antisemitism. The first step can be to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, in order to make a clear statement in support of the communities, address their concerns and stop the hatred that is being allowed to spread.

Dana Erlich

Ambassador of Israel