Refugees And Racism

Sir, - In an article about young Irish Jews (The Irish Times, January 7th) those interviewed "point out that the attitude of …

Sir, - In an article about young Irish Jews (The Irish Times, January 7th) those interviewed "point out that the attitude of Irish people towards Jewish people during the 1930s and 1940s was not any worse than that of any other European country".

Louis Lentin's recent RTE documentary No more Blooms about this period, when "a paltry four or five dozen" Jewish refugees were granted asylum in this State, likewise maintained that Ireland's reluctance to admit a Jewish influx was similar to policy through- out Europe.

To hear, then read, this inaccuracy is extraordinary and unacceptable. As anyone who visits the Irish Jewish Museum off Dublin's South Circular Road will learn, during the 1930s Britain allowed in 55,000 Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, despite her own recent economic slimp and current unemployment problem.

This fact should be considered especially by those here who accuse the British of being racists. But then, anyone who is anti-British is a racist. - Yours, etc.,

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From Rory Campbell

Bella Avenue, Dublin 1.