Former Irish justice and defense minister Alan Shatter writes that extreme anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment has gone mainstream in Ireland — with the government's tacit encouragement
Well written, Mr Shatter. I am also an Irish citizen, and I live in Australia. So my pro-Israel views are doubly frowned upon.
I am old enough to remember a Christian Brother teacher praising Israel for resurrecting Hebrew. He saw it as a model for Ireland and for saving the Irish language. I remember a teenager who went to Israel and worked on a kibbutz. That was the 1960s and 1970s.
Without challenging the narrative presented about the state of affairs in Ireland, and frankly the same in many other places, I think it is also high time to stop also the praise of the current US leadership that is using anti semitism as a pretext to condemn anything they don't like. It is a bargain with the devil for a few magic beans that will have no where to grow. While I am not accusing this author of this, blanket condemnation of those who would be true allies in the fight against anti Semitism, rather than those using the fight as a pretext to harm those you don't agree with, makes Israel and all Jewish people less safe. Anti Israel protests can be the gateway to anti semitism, but so can blind support of a urine haired despot by Jews who know full well this is a person happy to support home grown and international anti semites or at the very least, turn a blind eye. If we lose focus and make selfish alliances, we will be consumed by our bad choice of both friends and enemies.
Well written, Mr Shatter. I am also an Irish citizen, and I live in Australia. So my pro-Israel views are doubly frowned upon.
I am old enough to remember a Christian Brother teacher praising Israel for resurrecting Hebrew. He saw it as a model for Ireland and for saving the Irish language. I remember a teenager who went to Israel and worked on a kibbutz. That was the 1960s and 1970s.
What the heck happened?
Well said. I’m an Irish citizen and disgusted with the Irish Jew hate.
Without challenging the narrative presented about the state of affairs in Ireland, and frankly the same in many other places, I think it is also high time to stop also the praise of the current US leadership that is using anti semitism as a pretext to condemn anything they don't like. It is a bargain with the devil for a few magic beans that will have no where to grow. While I am not accusing this author of this, blanket condemnation of those who would be true allies in the fight against anti Semitism, rather than those using the fight as a pretext to harm those you don't agree with, makes Israel and all Jewish people less safe. Anti Israel protests can be the gateway to anti semitism, but so can blind support of a urine haired despot by Jews who know full well this is a person happy to support home grown and international anti semites or at the very least, turn a blind eye. If we lose focus and make selfish alliances, we will be consumed by our bad choice of both friends and enemies.