The recent disgraceful events at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Ireland have sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
The keynote speech delivered by Irish President Michael D. Higgins at the event, meant to honor the memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, instead veered into a political diatribe criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. Such behavior on a solemn occasion dedicated to commemorating one of the darkest chapters in human history is deeply inappropriate and disrespectful, not least to the Holocaust survivors who were in attendance.
To understand the gravity of this incident, it is crucial to examine Ireland’s historical relationship with antisemitism and its stance on Jewish issues. While Ireland today portrays itself as a champion of human rights, its historical record reveals a troubling pattern of neglect and hostility towards Jews.
Ireland’s neutrality during World War II is a case in point. While much of the world united to defeat the genocidal Nazi regime, Ireland remained officially neutral, a stance that some argue was tantamount to moral abdication.
Éamon de Valera, Ireland’s then-Taoiseach, even extended condolences on the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, a gesture that shocked and appalled many around the world.
Sinn Féin, a dominant political force in Ireland, has historically shown a disregard for Jewish concerns. The party’s alignment with Palestinian causes often crosses the line into overt hostility toward Israel, ignoring the historical and existential struggles faced by the Jewish people.
This stance has, at times, spilled over into antisemitic rhetoric, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fueling anti-Jewish sentiment in Irish society.
In recent years, Ireland has emerged as one of the most aggressively anti-Israel countries in the world. The Irish government has repeatedly supported measures to condemn Israel on the international stage, including endorsing allegations of genocide and apartheid in forums like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This one-sided approach neglects the context of Israel’s security challenges and fails to adequately condemn the violence perpetrated by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
October 7
The events of October 7, when Hamas launched a brutal and unprovoked attack on Israel, highlighted this bias. While many Western nations unequivocally condemned the atrocities committed by Hamas, Ireland’s response was tepid at best. This failure to stand firmly against terrorism reveals a deep-seated prejudice that prioritizes anti-Israel rhetoric over genuine concern for human rights.
Such is the extent of anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland that Israel recently closed its embassy in Dublin. This unprecedented move underscores the strained relations between the two nations and serves as a stark indictment of Ireland’s hostile policies toward the Jewish state.
Against this backdrop, President Higgins’ decision to use a Holocaust Remembrance Day event to criticize Israel is particularly egregious. The Holocaust stands as a unique and unparalleled tragedy in human history, a genocide that sought to annihilate an entire people.
To use such an occasion to launch a political attack on the one country that serves as a safe haven for Jews is a betrayal of the memory of the Holocaust and the survivors who endured unimaginable suffering.
The Irish Jewish community had specifically requested that President Higgins refrain from politicizing the event. They implored him to respect the solemnity of the occasion and focus on honoring the victims and survivors.
THAT HE chose to disregard these appeals speaks volumes about his indifference to the concerns of Ireland’s Jewish citizens.
One of the most disgraceful moments of the event came when an audience member, a Jewish woman, turned her back in silent protest against the president’s speech.
Instead of allowing this quiet act of dissent, event organizers ejected her from the venue. This act of silencing a Jewish voice at a Holocaust memorial is deeply troubling and indicative of a broader disregard for Jewish perspectives in Ireland.
Israel is not merely a nation-state; it is a refuge and a sanctuary for Jews worldwide. After centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust, the establishment of Israel in 1948 provided a homeland where Jews could live free from discrimination and violence.
Criticizing Israel at a Holocaust memorial event, therefore, is not only inappropriate but also deeply insulting to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.
President Higgins’ actions at this event reveal a troubling double standard. While he claims to advocate for human rights and justice, his failure to condemn Hamas’s atrocities and his willingness to politicize a solemn occasion suggest otherwise.
His speech did not merely criticize Israeli policies; it undermined the very essence of what the IHRD represents: a commitment to remember the past and fight against all forms of hatred and bigotry.
The events at the IHRD in Ireland should serve as a wake-up call. It is essential for Irish leaders to reflect on their actions and the message they send to their Jewish citizens and the global community.
Holocaust memorials are not platforms for political grandstanding; they are sacred spaces for reflection, remembrance, and the reaffirmation of our collective commitment to ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.
The Irish government must also reevaluate its stance on Israel and its broader approach to Jewish issues. Supporting one-sided narratives and failing to condemn terrorism not only damages Ireland’s international reputation but also alienates its Jewish citizens.
True commitment to human rights requires a balanced and fair approach, one that recognizes the legitimate concerns of all parties and condemns violence and hatred in all its forms.
President Higgins’ speech and the subsequent ejection of a Jewish audience member who protested his remarks represent a low point in Ireland’s history of engagement with Jewish issues.
There are 2,000 Jews living in Ireland.
What message has been sent to them by this disgraceful desecration of so solemn an event? Does Ireland value its Jewish citizens? Does it respect the memory of the Holocaust? Does it even care what the Jewish population thinks or feels?
When it can answer these questions honestly and in the affirmative, only then can it claim to truly stand for justice and human rights. Until then, we know who are our friends and who are our enemies.
The writer is a rabbi and physician who lives in Ramat Poleg, Netanya. He is a co-founder of Techelet-Inspiring Judaism.