Most UK Jews feel an affinity with Israel

So it should come as no surprise that throughout Ireland there are a small number of Jewish individuals who are anti-Israel (‘We are Jews in Ireland who back the Palestinians’ October 6).

As a member of the Jewish community, I think their aim of robbing the Jewish people of their only state is reprehensible, given the history of persecution and genocide that a stateless Jewish people experienced over centuries.

I do not share their confidence that a Jewish population in the Middle East stripped of the state of Israel would fare any better than other religious minorities in the region, be they Christian, Yazidi or Muslim – many of whom are being forced to flee in the face of ethnic cleansing.

Indeed the charter of Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad make it clear their aspiration is to see every last Jew dead . It would be interesting to know how the anti-Israel Jews view the Hamas charter given their unqualified support for the Palestinian cause.

As in most cases, there is a majority and minority position within the Jewish community.

A detailed study of the attitudes of Jews in the UK towards Israel reveals the vast majority of British Jews exhibit strong personal support and affinity with Israel: 95% have visited – much more than say American Jews; 86% felt strongly they have a special responsibility as Jews for Israel’s survival; 76% felt Israel was relevant to their everyday lives thanks to their faith, family connections and cultural identity. (Source: Institute for Jewish Policy Research).

Individual Jews have the right to express a contrary opinion, however unrepresentative.

But there is no justification for the claim by the Palestine Solidarity campaign that there is an established Jewish community in Ireland which shares their aim to isolate and dismantle Israel through discrimination and boycotts.

Avraham Sender, Belfast