Why is Ireland, which produces such good poets — Paul Muldoon, Seamus Heaney, John Montague come swimmingly to mind — now so maddeningly anti-Israel and, let’s face it, so disgracefully antisemitic? I thought there was something wrong when, many decades ago, I learned from a relative in Kinvara, County Galway, that when Hitler died, then Taoiseach Eamon de Valera conveyed his condolences to the German consul in Dublin. And then, on a trip to Dublin to pay my respects to the Book of Kells, I was astonished to see — I can’t remember where — the sign “Swastika and Bells,” which turned out to be the name of a laundry. The point was this: there apparently was no public outcry for the sign, so offensive even though it predated and had nothing to do with the Nazis, to be changed.
Which brings us by a commodius vicus to the indictment of Irish antisemitism which you can find here: “Ireland must reevaluate its approach to Israel and Jews – opinion,” by Jonathan Lieberman, Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2025:
The recent disgraceful events at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Ireland have sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
The keynote speech delivered by Irish President Michael D. Higgins at the event, meant to honor the memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, instead veered into a political diatribe criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. Such behavior on a solemn occasion dedicated to commemorating one of the darkest chapters in human history is deeply inappropriate and disrespectful, not least to the Holocaust survivors who were in attendance.
To understand the gravity of this incident, it is crucial to examine Ireland’s historical relationship with antisemitism and its stance on Jewish issues. While Ireland today portrays itself as a champion of human rights, its historical record reveals a troubling pattern of neglect and hostility towards Jews.
Ireland’s neutrality during World War II is a case in point. While much of the world united to defeat the genocidal Nazi regime, Ireland remained officially neutral, a stance that some argue was tantamount to moral abdication.
Éamon de Valera, Ireland’s then-Taoiseach, even extended condolences on the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, a gesture that shocked and appalled many around the world.
Sinn Féin, a dominant political force in Ireland, has historically shown a disregard for Jewish concerns. The party’s alignment with Palestinian causes often crosses the line into overt hostility toward Israel, ignoring the historical and existential struggles faced by the Jewish people.
This stance has, at times, spilled over into antisemitic rhetoric, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fueling anti-Jewish sentiment in Irish society.
In recent years, Ireland has emerged as one of the most aggressively anti-Israel countries in the world. The Irish government has repeatedly supported measures to condemn Israel on the international stage, including endorsing allegations of genocide and apartheid in forums like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This one-sided approach neglects the context of Israel’s security challenges and fails to adequately condemn the violence perpetrated by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization….President Higgins’ speech and the subsequent ejection of a Jewish audience member who protested his remarks represent a low point in Ireland’s history of engagement with Jewish issues.
There are 2,000 Jews living in Ireland.
What message has been sent to them by this disgraceful desecration of so solemn an event? Does Ireland value its Jewish citizens? Does it respect the memory of the Holocaust? Does it even care what the Jewish population thinks or feels?
When it can answer these questions honestly and in the affirmative, only then can it claim to truly stand for justice and human rights. Until then, we know who are our friends and who are our enemies.
Lieberman has said what needed to be said. Not to us, here and now. You and I are not the targets of his savage indignation. We’re on his side. But over there, across the sea, where the Irish need to come to their senses, so that they deplore rather than applaud the intolerable likes of President Michael Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Foreign Minister Simon Harris, and those two atrocious clerics, Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland (who accuses Israel of “Nazi-like policies”) and the Reverend Canon David Oxley (who claims Israel deploys a “master race” ideology), whose wife’s family were Nazis — the real Nazis, not the pretend kind. Clean out those Augean stables that now stink to high heaven. Use the water of the River Liffey, or the seawater in Dublin Bay.
Tony Rice says
A short-ass trying to attach attention to himself, as short-asses do, plus Ireland is deeply Catholic, whose history towards Jews has NEVER been good, in fact in-house preached anti semitism
Billy says
Leftists have deceitfully worked in schools and in governments with Islam’s Muslims to indoctrinate and to islamize Ireland and the EU against Israel and the West to help gain more totalitarian power and control. Also, Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION against Non-Muslims and NOT A PEACEFUL RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 21:921; 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Criminal Enterprise of continuous war, discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran. Fundamentally, Islam funds, teaches, and promotes a Terrorist Criminal Organization with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah. The FRUIT of Islam is incessant WAR, terrorism, discrimination, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam when Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Western Muslims seek to ensure Islam’s legitimacy against Non-Muslim societies, to impose Islamic Law in Western Legal Systems, and to advance Islam’s totalitarian goals. Consequently, Islam promotes a limitless, terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Deceitful Allah promises Heavenly Paradise to Muslims for acts of Muslim killing in a terrorist attacks against Non-Muslims and hypocrites when Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah, so they kill and are killed…”
Stive says
I grew up in america and there was antisemitism but not everywhere but not uncommon. Much was nasty but not evil.
I also saw antisemitism suddenly decline rapidly. I noted the decline started in 1967 with Israels 6 day war victory. I deduced this was because the held images of Jews suddenly changed. Jews were mocked as stupid and weak being exterminated with little resistance in ww 2. Suddenly from 6 day war, Jews got a new image as strong this gaining some respect. This is the same time that Jews started coming to Christ in growing numbers. I deduced that the blindness in part that God put upon Israel was done by the christian church behavior to Jews. When christians started to act christian suddenly, Jews became partly gospel receptive.
By adulthood I could by observation notice which denominations were the most to the least antisemitic. I noticed the most to the least antisemitic cities in america.
The most rabid antisemitic city in america was Boston. Add many factors together and the chief culprit is obvious, their brand of Catholic church. The other non catholic culprits were Lutherans, methodists and presbyterians which is sad as they once we’re great churches long ago, excluding Lutherans of course.
But as a group, nothing more antisemitic than catholic but even that had some good area spots.
Irish catholicism is the culprit above all else. Stronger Vatican control, the worse it gets.
I know a native of Boston who is a great christian conservative and has a lot of truth about evil coming down fast. He outdoes many in his correct info but he is a rabid hater of both Jews and Israel and lies in this area. He abandoned catholicism and became a protestant. Unfortunately he kept the antisemitic baggage from his catholic days. The other factor few know, that know this man, is his father is catholic but his mother is Jewish.is kept secret. His Jewish mother really was an evil horrid mother to her son so her abuse helped the Jewish hate to blossom very strong on top of what already ingrained.
Today antisemitism is back like a Hurricaine but while it comes from the left, Islam and some replacement theology churches and the vatican of course, the fuel that ignites the antisemitic explosion is two items, a bible illiterate generation plus an Israel government that will not annex it’s God given land, for a stupid people in love of peace so much but stupid to think giving up it’s tiny land for peace could actually work, makes people believe lies told as giving up your land is either stupid or insane or both. Even bible illiterate have some sense.
My point on Ireland, is that even if society paganized, antisemitic baggage continues.
granddaddyo says
The author says himself there are only 2000 Jews living in all Ireland. It hardly seems like a rational use of time and effort to hate so few Jews. Why don’t they go to Israel and hate the Jews there? These Jew-haters are just virtue signaling. When they kill all the Jews in Ireland, they’ll start on each other.
FYI says
What’s the matter with Ireland?
A woke lefty rapaciously corrupt government….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The Irish have the same issues as the South Africans. One whose political heritage was dictated by the IRA, and the other by the ANC. Both were pretty tight w/ the PLO back in the day, and that hasn’t changed. It’s why Ireland is pretty virulently antisemitic
If I were Israeli, I’d avoid expecting anything good from either country, and hope that every South African and Irish Jew makes Aliya
Westman says
This is The Republic Of Ireland, not a generic, “Ireland”. There is a British Northern Ireland.
It seems obvious that a mistaken parallel has been drawn between the Irish “troubles” with Britain and Northen Ireland in the minds of the Republic’s citizens and leaders. To them, the Palestinians are the oppressed Irish and the Israelis are the Brits and North Ireland Protestants.
It is amazing that, in the land of past great writers and poets, the citizens don’t read the Quran. Is that an indicator that the national literary preeminence will remain in the past?
The Republic’s Muslim population is only 1.6% so there is little experience anywhere but Dublin(8.1%) of what can happen if the immigration doors remain open, nor much knowledge of Islamic doctrine.The entire Republic’s population is only about 5.3 million. Like chummed fish, they don’t know what is coming.
SKA says
As I have noted before today’s citizens of the Republic wax elusively grateful about how the Choctaw Indian Nation raised some sum short of $100 to aid in Irish relief during the Potato Famine but ignore or deny the over £250,000 that Baron Lionel de Rothschild raised among the Jewish community of Great Britain for Irish famine relief. Thus ingratitude speaks volumes.
Robert says
The answer is staring you in the face: Catholicism.
Hugh Fitgerald says
Gosharootie, if “Catholicism is to blame” for antisemitism, then what explains the ardent pro-Israel and philosemitic views of my very Catholic relatives, one of whom was a nun for nine years (past the postulant stage) until she discovered men? How about Pope John XXIII? There are so many, of every conceivable denomination, who have been infected by that pathological condition we call antisemitism. Martin Luther was a fanatical hater of Jews. The Black Hundreds who conducted pogroms throughout the Pale — think of Kishinev in 1906 —- were Russian Orthodox. Many people who so wrongly called themselves Christians — Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox, many others — living in Germany between 1933 and 1945, had a high old time of it, rounding up defenseless Jewish men, women, and children, to be gassed with Zyklon-B in the “showers” of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, or gassed in mobile killing vans on the eastern front, or shot in the back of the head as they stood, naked, by the side of vast open pits, into which those Jews toppled, some not yet dead so that the bodies of the still undead writhed in the pits, suffocating under the bodies of others shot after them, or thrust alive into crematoria, or tortured fiendishly in the “experiments” conducted by Dr. Josef Mengele, who lived out his normal lifespan quite happily in Brazil, surrounded by his loving family, who knew his history and loved their papa just the same.
RightStuff says
So disappointed in Ireland! The country is committing suicide. There is no being “friends” with fifteen centuries of hate.
Tim gallagher says
As a 74 year old Australian who was brought up in the Catholic church, I can’t recall this anti Jewish sentiment that some commenters are mentioning as being a characteristic of the Catholic church. I will admit that I probably did shut out a lot of the boring bullshit preached to us. I am definitely religious and a Christian and vaguely Catholic. I suspect the Irish people are infected with the currently trendy disgusting anti Jewish sentiment that seems to be everywhere in the western world. Australia has a terrible anti Jewish sentiment. I thought that it was because of the hate filled Muslims but it seems to be wider than that. It is shocking to me and many others. This evil shit has never been seen in Australia before. I still suspect that it is a Muslim import and other fringe dwelling Australian shitheads are joining in. Maybe Ireland is worse or maybe it is just like other western countries. It is sickening stuff.
somehistory says
Tim, there are outstanding people in every group and in every group, there are creepy people.
It seems that the mozlums, who openly hate and threaten to murder, and then murder, the Jews, have brought any latent feelings in others out into the open.
It’s somewhat logical if a person fears others, that he would try to say and do what those whom he fears want him to say and do.
Perhaps not all of those now onto the Jew-hatred actually do feel as they are claiming, but are so afraid of the mozlums….who do have that evil hatred….that they are claiming it to avoid being targeted. by murderers.
Tim gallagher says
What you say there makes a lot of sense. This trendy anti Jewish sentiment and attacks on synagogues, vandalizing cars in neighbourhoods where many Jews live,etc has been shocking to many of us here in Australia because it has never happened before. Maybe many people did have some degree of anti Jewish feeling. Not something I can comprehend although I had a friend at uni, years ago, from a Hungarian background who seemed obsessed with the Jews. I hope you are going well. I told gravenimage about the artist Giselle who was from a Jewish background. I said that she was just a friend but she was my girlfriend for a year or so and, as I look back, probably the love of my life. Apart from her, I have had little to do with Jewish people. I am appalled by the very nasty bullshit that is happening here lately.
dumbledoresarmy says
Tim Gallagher – re recent events in Australia (I too being an Aussie) – I am absolutely disgusted and horrified.
One thing I do not understand is this: We KNOW synagogues are going to be targeted. Many have already been targeted. They will be targeted again.
Likewise: there are the ‘shopfronts’ of those of our federal and state politicians who happen to be identifiably Jewish. One such has already been targeted for attack.
But…Australia’s Jewish community is not very large. There are really not very many synagogues and other visibly-Jewish institutions such as schools. (A LOT fewer than the swarms of mosques and ‘Islamic schools’!) Likewise: we do not have a large number of identified-as-jewish politicians.
So.. what’s to stop our federal and/or state police and/or antiterrorism agency or agencies from … setting up **stakeouts** at every synagogue in Australia, and in the vicinity of every Jewish school, and near every Jewish politician’s office?
To repeat, the number of places one would need to watch, is quite small. It wouldn’t require that many men… and even if it did require a fair number, isn’t it worth it, to nip the thing in the bud, BEFORE we start getting lynchings and murders?
Hide, watch, wait, then BAM! come down like a ton of bricks when the vandals or would-be arsonists arrive. Then once you have your catch, put them through the wringer… and impose maximum sentences, with maximum publicity.
Those of us here – lurking or commenting – who are Aussies need to raise this matter with the Prime Minister and whoever is responsible for counter-terrorism.
Let’s DEMAND that a serious out-and-out effort be made to CATCH the Jew-hating vandals and arsonists… by lying in wait for the b*st*rds at the locations we KNOW they are going to target sooner or later. Set traps!!
BTW – have you come across “Never Again is Now”? It’s about the only group that is getting together to organise rallies and suchlike, opposing antisemitism and the death-to-Israel mob. I went to one of their rallies, in my hometown. A good opportunity to network .. and the more people turn up at such rallies, the louder the message that is sent to our politicians.
Tony Rice says
I would suggest any anti-Jewish activity is not carried out by traditional Australians of British stock but by those of a certain religion who seem to proliferate in Australia these days, and who may well be the chorus calling Australia to ditch the Monarchy?.
somehistory says
Thank you, Tim. It’s impossible for people who have good hearts to truly understand those who favor evil and evil ideas.
I’m doing okay. I hope you are as well. It’s hard to lose a loved one. They stay forever in our hearts and memories.
I worked for a brief time for a Jew. It would have been for a longer time, but he began to see how much his two sons liked me. So, we parted ways. I totally understood.
They had come to the U.S. from Iran and his wife taught Persian at the university.
John Pepple says
My understanding is that the Irish were oppressed by the English for centuries, and they hate them to the extent that they like what the English hate and hate what they like. So, if the English hate Hitler, then they are going to like him. Also, Ireland’s devotion to Catholicism goes back to the fact that the Catholic Church sided with them rather than the English.