The government of Ireland has just announced that it has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Here is that definition: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” Most of those adopting that definition also point to various examples of different ways in which that antisemitism is expressed.
Such a decision — to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism — is always to be welcomed, but given how antisemitic many Irish, including those at the very top of the government, have shown themselves to be this past year, in truly hair-raising pronouncements by the Irish president, Michael Higgins, the prime minister Simon Harris, the foreign minister Micheal Martin, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamonn Martin, and the head of the Anglican Church in Ireland, Canon David Oxley, it’s hard to see that that adoption of the IHRA will do much good with those people still in office.
Ireland is, said one leader of the Irish Jewish community, the “most antisemitic” of all member states in the EU, and this announcement looks to be more of an attempt to deflect criticism rather than a genuine expression of sympathetic understanding for Jews, a tiny and embattled people fighting a seven-front war, who are now experiencing an increase in antisemitism worldwide that has not been seen since the days of the Nazis. More on what has been going on in Ireland that vitiates its pretense of becoming, if not a supporter of Israel, at least not a relentless and obsessive enemy of both the Jewish state and also of Jews, can be found here: “Ireland Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism Amid Row With Israel,” by Dion J. Pierre, Algemeiner, January 17, 2025:
Ireland has announced that it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, an unexpected policy decision which comes amid a surge of Jew-hatred in the country and a downward spiral in relations with Israel.
“Ireland is committed to countering the scourge of racism and hatred and to promoting values of equality, inclusiveness, and the full respect of human rights,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said in a statement announcing the move on Thursday. “Combating antisemitism is an increasingly important and visible part of this work. I have been deeply concerned at the current trend of a global rise in antisemitism, both online and offline. The government takes this issue seriously and we will continue to tackle all forms of discrimination.”
If Micheal Martin is intent on “combating antisemitism,” will he publicly admonish, for a start, Canon Oxley, who has described Jews as believing that they are a “master race”? Will he ask for President Michael Higgins to explain his bizarre charge that Israel is planning to build a “settlement” in Egypt, or to justify his constant attacks on the IDF for waging a “merciless” war? And what of the endless stream of anti-Israel invective from Prime Minister Simon Harris, who accuses of Israel of the deliberate “starvation of children” and the intentional “killing of civilians”? And what about remarks by Micheal Martin himself, denouncing the IDF’s conduct of the war as a violation of international law, and choosing to join South Africa at the International Court of Justice in accusing Israel of “war crimes” and “genocide,” while ignoring completely all the measures that the IDF takes to warn civilians away from sites about to be targeted? Those endless remarks so full of anti-Israel animus made by every major figure in the Irish government — the president, the prime minister, the minister of foreign affairs —proved too much for the Israelis to stand. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar finally shut down his government’s embassy in Dublin.
Martin continued, “I believe the step taken today will be an important contribution to these efforts. We will also continue our close relationship with the Jewish community in Ireland and ensure that their concerns are heard.”
Martin later followed his announcement with a tweet which emphasized the IHRA definition’s being “non-legally binding,” a point he made again in reference to Ireland’s additional adoption of the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, which he also described as “non-legally binding.”
Why did Martin stress that the IHRA definition that Ireland now “accepts” is not legally binding? Is he trying to reassure the antisemites in the public not to worry, no laws will be broken if you speak your mind, there will be no penalty for ignoring IHRA? Go ahead, he seems to imply, and say what you really think about Israel and Jews; you are just as free to make antisemitic remarks now as you were before the government adopted IHRA.
Irish textbooks now teach the country’s schoolchildren that Islam strives for “peace and justice,” and Muslims only go to war in self-defense, “not to spread Islam.” Thus are 1400 years of documented aggression by Muslims in many lands and against many peoples, simply ignored. Think of the Christians in North Africa who were forcibly Islamized, from Morocco to Egypt, the Orthodox Christians in Turkey, so many of whom were murdered or agreed to convert in order to avoid the wretched status of dhimmis, forced to pay the jizyah to the Islamic state. Don’t forget the Zoroastrians of the Persian Empire who were conquered by Muslim Arabs, who Islamized, or killed, its inhabitants (some Zoroastrians fled to India, where they became known as “Parsis”). And don’t forget the 70-80 million Hindus who were murdered by Muslim conquerors during the several hundred years of Mughal rule. Yet in Irish textbooks, Muslims never resort to war “to spread Islam,” but only to “defend” it. This is an offense against history and the truth. Not just Jews, but all non-Muslims, ought to be outraged.
In Ireland today, the antisemitism is so wide and deep that one despairs. How can the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism drain that swamp, undo so much hatred? Perhaps the spectacle of several thousand well-fed and well-clothed Palestinians (Israeli prisons are like those in Scandinavia), hundreds of them terrorist murderers, being freed by Israel in exchange for some dozens of malnourished and clearly miserably treated men, women, children, and the Bibas babies, will shock some Irish into rethinking their prejudices. Perhaps this grotesque trade of innocents for murderers over the next 42 days during phase one, or over 84 days for phases one and two, will offer some lux in tenebris after all. Call it The Great Awakening.
SKA says
On every notice of Irish anti-Semitism I always want to remind all Irish, and especially the huge numbers of Americans of Irish descent, that during the Potato Famine whilst Queen Victoria contributed a mere £1,000 for Irish famine relief that Baron Lionel de Rothschild organized a campaign among the Jewish community of Great Britain that raised roughly £250,000 for Irish famine relief. Also it is well to note that most of the early Zionists had great sympathy for the cause of Irish independence seeing the Irish as being like themselves subjects of British colonial misrule. So much for gratitude!
gravenimage says
Good point, SKA.
Hudders. says
Magnificent comment @SKA
An inconvenient truth to the Irish Gov.
sean Walsh says
Very good point but sad fact is this is never being though in Schools or talked about in the media
Siddi Nasrani says
Quote, ” Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals.
I am puzzled !!!! I thought that only antisemitism effects Jews !!
gravenimage says
Siddi, this extends the clear meaning of “antisemitism” as “anti-Jewish”, and extends it to anyone who speaks a Semetic language–including all Muslims who speak Arabic. That renders the term completely meaningless.
gravenimage says
In Ireland Today, the Antisemitism is So Wide and Deep That One Despairs
……………………………………………..
One does indeed. I am part Irish-American, and this deeply appalls me.
Steve Deplorable says
Yes, it is shocking and it is disgusting. It is worth understanding though (and reminding the otherwise decent Irish) that aside from the residue of age old Anti-Semitism, there is another as pernicious and far more recent ideological reason behind this. “The Troubles” didn’t spontaneously reignite in the late 1960s, but were purposefully inflamed by the same forces that turned the “Palestinian” issue from a religious one to an “anti-imperialism” one. Those same sentiments, ignorant, manipulated, and contrived as they are, are currently in the forefront of discourse around the world. I honestly think that the average Irishman/woman will reconsider their views when (if) they realize it came from the same agitprop that is destroying their country as it did Britain.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
The Zionists looked to Irish nationalists, with whom they identified -especially Michael Collins. When he was being sought by the Black and Tan, at one point Collins disguised himself as an Orthodox Jew and hid among Dublin’s Jewry.
An Irish Jew, Robert Briscoe, was an arms purchaser for the IRA. In later life he became an adviser to Menachem Begin.
Kepha says
How ironic. I understand that nowadays, in Northern Ireland, the IRA and “Roman Catholic” element tends to identify with the Falastin cause, while Protestant Unionists are sympathetic to Israel.
gravenimage says
+1
Richard Godfrey says
You forgot to mention the continued attempts to undermine the Israel-EU trade agreement in meetings with the EU, the attempt to change the definition of genocide before the IJC, the BDS legislation of the Occupied Territories Bill, acknowledged as unconstitutional, but to be reintroduced in the new Dáil in a new form. Mention also the comments of the previous Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, that Israel.has not been a democratic country for years and the holocaust is just historic guilt.
Am Yisrael Chai says
Mohammed is the number one name of baby boys born in Eire’s largest cities. Only when Sharia bans Guiness will the lads of Erin grow a pair. Until then, they will be too drunk to know that their lasses are being raped daily. Ireland, the toilet of Europe.
gravenimage says
Grimly true:
https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/muhammad-and-olivia-top-list-of-most-popular-baby-names-KGY76YBQFZNWBBEDQQYUZL6IEI/
Kepha says
Long ago, a friend of mine who studied in Sweden back when Olof Palme was a household name said that the Swedes tended to be insufferably self-righteous about their then-neutrality. I have a sneaky suspicion that Saorstat Eirann suffers from a similar disease.
I am frankly disgusted that Irish education teaches that Islam’s wars have always been self-defensive. I wish this report may turn out to be false.
As a history teacher, when we have the section on Islam, I always make it a point to note that Islam spread by conquest, and that dhimmi status was by no means a precursor of mutually respectful multiculturalism, but a badge of inferiority. I also plan to similarly subvert the section on decolonization by pointing out that decolonization has been with us from the beginning of time.
@Am Yisroel Chai:
When Islam bans Guiness in Ireland, my guess is that the yobs there won’t grow a pair, but note that the Guiness family was originally a bunch of Protestant transplants from “perfidious Albion” on poor, suffering Erin.
Tim gallagher says
Does Ireland have large number of Muslims and thus has this ferocious hatred for the Jews or is it that lots of Irish people watch the damage and casualties in Gaza and, because they are soft in the head, take the Palestinian side and are anti Israel and therefore anti Jewish. I was watching the tv news with a left wing fool recently and she was upset about the Palestinians and saying how terrible Israel is. I have no sympathy for the Muslim Palestinians and I support Israel which I consider to be the only civilised country in the middle east. A lot of people are complete fools on the Palestinian Israeli situation. It seems that plenty of Irish are fools on the issue. To hell with islam and it’s totally barbaric followers.
PR says
Tim, muslims strongly poison the Irish against Jews. But, Irish Jew hatred originates from the Catholic church. Which has not altered this stance, even after the Holocaust. When the Church aligns with the muslim/left alliance, Jew hatred is now trebly reinforced.
Tim gallagher says
Thanks for your explanation of the forces that are causing the anti Jewish sentiment in Ireland. Here in Australia there are attacks on synagogues, cars in Jewish areas of Sydney almost every night lately. Muslims have made this country far worse than it used to be.
gravenimage says
Muslims do this to *every* country they infest in large numbers.
skeptiker says
Was können sogenannte “Linke” und “Progressive” am besten? Heucheln und Lügen. Wenn man ihr bedeutungsloses Geschwätz anhört oder ihre Pamphlete liest, kann man den Hirntod nicht mehr als offizielle Definition für das entgültige Ableben eines Menschen zur Freigabe einer Organentnahme zulassen. Jeden Tag werden wir Zeuge, wie prächtig man ein Leben als Hirntoter führen kann.
Joseph Askew says
Over the next few years we will watch as Ireland becomes an enemy of the living God of Israel, the Barbarians invited in will increasingly become the tormentors of the Irish people. This anti Israel campaign filters down from leaders and politicians who retire in luxury whilst they’re own people suffer at the hands of the migrants.
crown says
“… the Barbarians invited in will increasingly become the tormentors of the Irish people. ”
And then we’ll order a nice tall glass of Schadenfreude, and drink it down with the same sense of satisfaction that the Irish used to have, while quaffing their Guinness. By that time, of course, the pubs will have been shuttered, and the only satisfaction those gits will have, is playing with their grandchildren named Muhammad after coming home from the local mosque.
gravenimage says
An Islamic Ireland would harm more than just the Irish.
The Istanbulian says
Wow! I didn’t know England was just like Islam. Only going to war to defend itself, eh paddy?
Sanjay Tandon says
How many non-Jewish people in Europe today have taken note of the fears of Jews who are planning to leave, who feel they cannot live safely in the countries they have inhabited for many centuries.
Growing antisemitism that is encouraged and spread mainly by Muslims migrants, is the main cause of Jews thinking of leaving Europe.
Three-quarters of British Jews say that they “no longer feel safe” in the UK.
In France, things are no better. The Chief Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Paris, Moshe Sebbag, recently called for Jews to leave, telling his flock that “there is no future for Jews in France. I tell all young people to go to Israel or to a safer country.”
The Chief Rabbi of Barcelona, Meir Bar Hen, also invited the Jews to pack their bags. “This place is lost. Better to leave sooner rather than later”. Our community “is condemned” both because of radical Islam and the reluctance of the authorities to confront it. “I encouraged them (the Jews) to buy a house in Israel.”
“The Jews have no future in Europe,” echoed Avraham Gigi, Chief Rabbi of Brussels.
Millions of Muslims in the continent will be glad to have pushed out the Jews, and are hoping to complete their demographic conquest of Europe by decreasing the number of Christians remaining as well.
Today its the Jews tomorrow it will be the Hindus. According to some calculations, one in four Europeans will be Muslim by 2100 and large cities will be predominantly Muslim within 10-15 years.
Wake up before it’s too late