Letter: Holocaust Memorial Day must never again be used as a platform for politics

By Letters

Published 3rd Feb 2025, 11:28 BST

Despite the pleadings by no less than the chief Rabbi of Ireland Yoni Wieder, the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, the Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich, the founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland Oliver Sears, Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental and countless members of the Irish Jewish community to not speak at this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration (or at the very least not politicise it), Michael D Higgins – with impunity – politicised the commemoration of the Shoah’s victims and survivors.

Rather than recognise that his actions and statements since October 7, 2023 have caused pain to the Jewish community and that he was not a source of unity on this day of grief for our community, president Higgins decided to double down and use the setting of Holocaust Memorial Day to criticise Israel and direct the attention of those assembled towards Gaza.

Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly was absolutely right when she said: “There is a time and a place, president Higgins. This was neither.”

Sadly, we were not surprised by the president’s actions – painful though they were.

Many Jews in attendance either walked out or conducted a silent protest by turning their backs on the president (only when he started to delve into politics).

The response of security to remove silent protestors was horrifying to see, and has gained attention around the world.

At an event where the Israeli ambassador was not invited to speak (in breach of a long-standing agreement) and where president Higgins was the keynote, what could be a more damning indictment of the mismanagement of this occasion than the sight of a Jewish woman being removed out the door for daring to turn her back?

It was shameful to see Simon Harris continue to blindly defend Higgins, and gaslight the Jewish community.

One thing is clear, and is a strong message being sent from the Jewish community: this will not be allowed to happen again, be it the treatment of the Israeli ambassador or allowing Holocaust Memorial Day to be used as a platform for politics.

Daniel O’Dowd, Ireland Israel Alliance