Opinion

Ireland’s planned unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state sends a dangerous signal

The contagion of anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland reached new proportions last week when my invitation to the Fine Gael Ard Fheis was withdrawn

A Hanukkah menorah is left on a countertop in a destroyed house in Kissufim, Israel, after the Hamas atrocity of October 7th, 2024, near the border with Gaza. Photograph: Alexi J Rosenfeld/Getty

Dana Erlich
Thu Apr 11 2024 - 06:00

When I became ambassador to Ireland in August 2023, I looked forward to a recalibration of relations between our two countries which had numerous positive elements, albeit against a challenging political backdrop. Many Irish commentators and politicians eagerly assured me that Ireland was not hostile to Israel.

Unfortunately, six months into the war that was launched upon Israel by Hamas, when we see the one-sided media coverage, and hear the often-vitriolic rhetoric of politicians, one cannot help but question this.

October 7th was an horrific event in the history of Israel and the Jewish people – 1,200 of our people were slaughtered, hundreds raped and tortured, and hundreds more including children were kidnapped and sent into a living hell of captivity in Gaza, all by a Jihadi organisation whose own Charter is dedicated to the extermination of all Jews.

In most EU capitals there were strong expressions of solidarity with Israel, such as statements of support and public buildings being lit in the Israeli colours of blue and white. With the exception of vigils held outside the embassy organised by various communities, there were no such high-profile or official public displays in Dublin; in fact, there was an automatic expression of solidarity with Palestinians, and even Hamas. Politicians and commentators saw an opportunity to castigate my country for its possible response. This was even before the IDF began its ground operation in Gaza to release the hostages and defeat Hamas.

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The ground operation is now used as justification for extreme anti-Israel discourse, which has escalated over the past six months. Support for my country, which is mostly expressed to the embassy, is now largely communicated in private for fear of attack. Furthermore, it appears that any show of empathy or humanity expressed toward Israel has been bullied out of public spaces due to an environment of hostility that has been allowed to prevail. It seems that in Ireland there is freedom of expression, but limited freedom of opinion.

Dana Erlich, ambassador of Israel to Ireland. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Many Irish politicians, especially those in Opposition, have continually singled out Israel, not only for criticism, but for boycott and calls for my expulsion, all the while effectively disregarding any suffering of people in Israel. They have embraced the “Palestinian cause” seemingly unconditionally, which in essence gives support to Hamas and other jihadist movements.

The Irish Government, although officially condemning what happened on October 7th and calling for the release of those kidnapped, has scarcely condemned Hamas itself. There is no outcry or action against its genocidal jihadi character, its abuse of the people of Gaza whom it cynically uses as human shields, its abuse of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and mosques, and its indoctrination of the youth of Gaza into a cult of martyrdom. There is constant criticism of Israel’s military actions, with no acknowledgment of the cynical tactics deployed by Hamas. In Ireland, Hamas is not held to any account, nor is it the subject of protest or pressure. Some, on the extreme left, even celebrate it as Palestinian “resistance”.

For example, it has been reported this week that Hamas has attacked aid for Gaza organised by the Palestinian Authority; where is the Irish criticism of this cynical brutality by Hamas against fellow Palestinians? This is an example of why Irish “neutrality” is questioned and viewed as having a double standard when it comes to Israel.

The contagion of anti-Israel sentiment reached surprising levels last week when my invitation to the Fine Gael Ard Fheis was withdrawn in a worrying sign that Israel is being further demonised in Ireland. Perhaps a reason for this is that those who look at this conflict from afar seem to accept, at face value, all of the claims made by Hamas, while disregarding the impact and outcomes of the atrocities that Hamas have perpetrated in Israel. War is terrible, but drawing comparisons between the horrible suffering of each side oversimplifies the situation and ignores many important and complex factors.

When people call for an immediate ceasefire, do they understand what it means? Would they expect their government to walk away and leave their people in Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza?

Then there is the issue of anti-Semitism. Of course, criticising Israel is not anti-Semitic; it is legitimate to criticise any country, any government. To our concern, however, criticism of Israel in Ireland has crossed a line. Delegitimising Israel and Zionism as a whole is anti-Semitic. Zionism is the national identity of the Jewish people. Why then in Ireland do many people, including many politicians and commentators, think it perfectly acceptable to deny my people’s national identity? Why is Zionism the only national identity called into question by some Irish people?

Many living here, from the Israeli and Jewish communities, have expressed to us fear and insecurity since last October. Extremists here have vilified the entire nation of Israel and Jewish people. Some Irish Jews are afraid to display their identity; some Israelis have left their high-tech jobs and moved out of Ireland. It is impossible to deny that anti-Semitism exists in this country; it most certainly does, as is evidenced in the lives of those experiencing it.

In Ireland’s view of the war, there is almost no context at all. The truth is that it was Hamas that began this war, it is Hamas that keeps it going by holding our kidnapped people, bombarding us with rockets, and by its leaders pledging to carry out more attacks such as that of October 7th. The war could end if Hamas released our hostages.

When people call for an immediate ceasefire, do they understand what it means? Would they expect their government to walk away and leave their people in Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza? A ceasefire is a bilateral arrangement that, so far, Hamas has both broken and opposed.

A unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at this point sends a dangerous signal to Hamas and its supporters, since it will be viewed as rewarding terrorism. Any future workable agreement or resolution to the wider conflict is one that must be arrived at by the parties to it, and should be addressed separately from the current war.

It should not be forgotten that Israel has achieved peace with its neighbours many times before when a desire for coexistence has been present among all sides. Hamas is not interested in coexistence. Political solutions cannot be enforced by actors who ultimately do not have to bear the consequences of their input.

Dana Erlich is ambassador of Israel

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