Ireland’s Political Pogrom Of Israel Continues Unabated
Ireland is acting with unprecedented fervour at every diplomatic forum to harm the interests of the State of Israel
Long term observers of Irish-Israeli affairs are accustomed to ties between the two countries maintaining a slow but steady rhythm — albeit one usually set against a backdrop of rancor.
Recently, however, the pace of developments has picked up — substantially so, in fact.
The Irish basketball’s team’s refusal to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts has proven to be a sort of unexpected catalyst for increased scrutiny of Ireland’s longstanding hostility to Israel by many commentators.
The sour grapes basketball incident received widespread coverage not only here in Israel, but also throughout the Jewish diaspora — and far beyond.
While the team received widespread support for their actions in Ireland, in Israel the move was read almost unanimously as a sort of decisive showing of the extent of Ireland’s hostility to Israel.
I tweeted — after the incident — that Ireland’s hostility to Israel now rivalled that of Iran. And I believe that that tweet captured fairly the national mood in Israel.
It’s this dissonance between Ireland’s status as an ostensibly respectable member of the EU (“The West”) and the extent of its hostility that captures the interest of many here in Israel. The endlessly repeated and flatly ridiculous claim that there is no antisemitism in Ireland is now being treated with well-deserved derision (another time-honored Irish favorite: “we have nothing against Jews, just against Zionism”!)
We’re used to compartmentalising hostility towards Israel among nations by crude axioms. The Arab World has remained intense in its animus towards Israel from the get-go. Some European countries have usually been seen as second division players. The Irish case is proving to us that these crude geopolitical rubrics are no longer fit-for-purpose.
So although the basketball incident drove home the level of vitriol with which Israel is regarded in Ireland, the extent of Ireland’s diplomatic movements against the Jewish State has been less remarked-upon. It’s staggering for its pace and breath.
Here’s a quick run-through of ongoing “proceedings”:
1. Ireland Is Trying To Have Israel-EU Trade Thwarted
Ireland’s “flagship” anti-Israel effort at the European Union is its attempt to have Israel’s trade agreement with the EU rendered null and void on account of a humans rights clause.
The move is almost certainly a non-runner. It would require unanimity among the EU member states and fortunately not everybody holds Israel in the extreme disdain that the Irish do.
Ireland initially hoped to go it alone but later found willing partners in Spain. The duo are currently on a mission to get the Trade Agreement run through the shredder. The move would harm Israel’s exports, academic cooperation with Europe, scientific ties, and (potentially) an aviation agreement.
2. Ireland Is Arguing Against Israel At The ICJ
Ireland is also currently attempting to muscle its way into proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Ireland is doing so on two fronts:
- Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh provided support for South Africa’s absurd case at the court charging Israel with perpetrating a genocide in Gaza.
- This week, Ireland’s Attorney General presented an opinion to the ICJ regarding Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian lands. Unsurprisingly, Ireland’s top legal representative delivered a guilty verdict against Israel. The findings were tweeted enthusiastically by Ireland’s foreign minister and deputy PM, Micheal Martin.
3. The Irish Government “Doesn’t Oppose” A Motion Calling For The “Dismantlement” Of “Apartheid” In Israel
With so many different initiatives being pursued at the same time, it’s easy for even more hostility to slip quietly beneath the radar.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2024-02-21/15/
This is exactly what happened last night when Irish Senator Frances Black — notorious for pursuing a bill which would slap sanctions on any Irish people doing business with Israeli companies beyond the Green Line — made a fresh push for sanctions against the Jewish State.
The motion — which the Irish government said it would not oppose — contains a dizzying array of hostile actions:
- Enacting the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023
- Advocate internationally for an arms embargo against Israel
- Advocate for the suspension of the EU-Israel Trade Agreement
- Support South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ
- Recognise the State of Palestine
- “Reaffirm and redouble efforts to create a lasting peace that includes a two state solution [and] dismantling the system of apartheid in Israel.”
If there was ever a moment to reach for the highlighter, may I suggest it’s this — and underlining the last of these proposals.
The language of “dismantling” Israel mirrors perfectly calls by anti-Semite Richard Boyd Barrett to achieve precisely the same end. Boyd Barrett’s dream of “dismantling” Israel involves replacing it with a one state solution which just happens to be named “Palestine” (I kid you not).
This is a transparent call for the elimination of Israel as a Jewish State, a legislative declaration of war.
In response to the Motion, Minister of State Sean Fleming said: “I confirm that the Government is not opposing the Motion.”
4. Ireland Is Pushing Unilaterally To Ban All Israeli Settlers From Entering The Country
This week Ireland also announced that it would be unilaterally pursuing a ban on Israeli settlers entering Ireland:
Assuming that the envisioned ban would define a settler as anybody living beyond the Green Line, such a travel ban would go substantially further than the US’s visa restrictions announced last December which (merely) targeted settlers which had been implicated in acts of extremism and violence.
It is no longer beyond the realm of possibility to consider the idea that Ireland might adopt the Hamas definition of “settler” (every Israeli) and join the list of nations worldwide which ban entry to citizens of the State of Israel.
5. Ireland Announced A Generous Top Up Payment To UNRWA — No Questions Asked
Not content with all of the above — a series of coordinated hostile efforts that beggar belief that Ireland still insists that it is “neutral” — Ireland also announced last week that it was going to step in to fill UNRWA’s funding shortfall.
In spite of growing revelations and evidence showing that UNRWA staff members were involved in the atrocities of October 7th, Ireland’s generous funding contribution — of €20M — dwarfs that of even Arab nations.
There has been no report that Ireland has insisted on increased oversight or some other quid pro quo in exchange for the generous funding.
Ireland is making a coordinated series of efforts at every international forum to harm the interests of the State of Israel. Bereft of a military of any significance, it is turning to diplomatic, legal, and political warfare to harm the interests of the Jewish State.
