Letter: Could it be that Irish leaders owe Israel an apology?
A letter from Paddy and Anne Monaghan:
Israel’s foreign minister has accused taoiseach Simon Harris of antisemitism, saying: “There is a difference between criticism and antisemitism based on the delegitimisation and dehumanisation of Israel and double standards towards Israel.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism (adopted by the European Council, Commission and Parliament and 33 member countries, but not by Ireland), declares that it is antisemitic to apply double standards by subjecting Israel to obsessive criticism applied to no other state.
Here are just five examples of this double standard:
1. The Irish government has requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to widen the definition of genocide to fit the case of Gaza.
It has not done this with any other country accused of human rights abuses.
2. In justifying their ICJ intervention the tanaiste said he’s motivated by “respect for international humanitarian law and respect for human rights” and added that it applies as well to Hamas and Hezbollah.
However, all our recent government actions only seek to punish Israel. No mention of any action against Hamas or Hezbollah.
3. RTE recently reported on the slaughter of 150,000 people in South Sudan in the past 18 months. 18 months of silence on Sudan, copious condemnations of Israel.
4. Research published on December 15 by a UK independent NGO (Henry Jackson Society) details the flagrant falsification by Hamas of Gazan casualty figures: men of fighting age classified as women and children, deaths from cancer or natural causes (even predating the conflict) – and victims of Hamas misfired rockets as well as the 17,000 Hamas fighters killed – all inserted into the claimed civilian casualty lists.
Israel has consistently maintained Hamas’ manipulation of the civilian death toll but it seems our government accepted the Hamas figures and based policy on them.
5. In October Ireland opened an Embassy in Iran. No condemnation of Iran’s appalling human rights record, or persecution of Christians.
No condemnation of Iran’s many threats to eliminate Israel, or funding of Hamas and Hezbollah. All condemnation focussed on Israel.
Our president has accused the Israeli government of “gross defamation” and “deep slander” for describing the Irish people as antisemitic. Not true.
Have our leaders been guilty of antisemitism according to the widely accepted IHRA definition? Could it be that they owe Israel an apology?
Paddy and Anne Monaghan, Glenageary, Co Dublin