Antisemitism in Ireland: A Medieval Problem Among Christians

Disturbing Survey Findings

• 📊 A recent survey reveals shocking levels of antisemitism among Christians in the Republic of Ireland.
• ⚠️ One researcher described the findings as akin to living in "Medieval times."

Historical Context of Anti-Israel Sentiment

• 📜 Ireland has a long history of being anti-Israel, dating back to Israel's founding in 1948.
• 🕯️ The Irish prime minister during WWII signed a book of condolences for Adolf Hitler.
• 🚫 In 1904, a Catholic priest in Limerick launched a pogrom against Jewish families, accusing them of being "leeches."
• 🇮🇪 Despite this history, Ireland did not recognize Israel until 1963.

Contemporary Hostility Towards Israel

• 🗣️ The narrative in Ireland is overwhelmingly hostile towards Israel, with all 10 political parties in parliament holding this view.
• 📉 The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has significantly increased its activity, holding frequent meetings nationwide.
• 🚫 There's a broad acceptance of BDS narratives towards Israel across the political spectrum.
• ❌ Even positive Israeli approaches, like its COVID-19 vaccination strategy, were dismissed simply because they were "Israeli."
• 📉 The Israeli embassy in Dublin closed in December, citing it was "not worth having an embassy there anymore."

Challenges for Pro-Israel Activism in Ireland

• ✊ Jamie O'Mahony, an Israel activist, co-founded the Ireland Israel Alliance, a group of Christians and Jews working to change the narrative.
• 🎓 O'Mahony also established Students Supporting Israel on a campus in Ireland, facing significant hate and negativity from students and administration.
• 🇺🇸 He expresses envy for the mainstream acceptance of Zionism and support for Israel's self-defense in the United States.

Political Actions and Legislation

• 🇵🇸 Ireland's parliament has recognized a "phantom state of Palestine" with no defined borders, government, or capital.
• ⚖️ Ireland joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
• ✈️ Irish parliamentarians attended a conference in Yemen with slogans like "Death to America, Death to Israel."
• 🛒 The proposed "Occupied Territories Bill" would criminalize buying or trading goods from Judea and Samaria (West Bank), impacting Jewish economic activity.

The Core Conflict: Rejectionism and Jihadism

• ⚔️ O'Mahony emphasizes that Israel faces a jihadist, Iranian-backed worldview that views Israelis as infidels.
• 💔 He argues that Palestinian rejectionism has consistently thwarted peace efforts and two-state solutions since 1937.
• 🎯 The ultimate goal, he states, is not an independent Palestinian state but the replacement of the Jewish state, as reflected in the slogan "from the river to the sea."