In its eight-century-long desire to be free of Britain, the Irish have made some heroic efforts, but alas -- as all peoples do -- have engaged in some incredible blunders. The increase of anti-Zionism in Ireland is one such blunder. 

A recent report by David Collier shows the frightening levels of anti-Semitism common in Ireland. (The report is currently down -- probably hacked.) It listed sentiments among the Irish that echoed Nazi/Tsarist propaganda of the worst sort. This anti-Semitism has been noticed by others.

According to Jewish filmmaker Tuvia Tenenbom, antisemitism in Ireland “is all over, it is frightening… I have never encountered it before. There is no argument, it is just considered a fact of life.” -- Blog -- The Times of Israel

Probably Ireland’s most famous blunder was the “official” neutrality of Ireland in World War II. It was understandable that after its war of independence from Britain Ireland was not eager to engage in another war on the side of Britain. Bitterness still rang deep. 

Yet, Ireland’s neutrality actually swung in favor of the Allies:

“The Irish Government’s position in World War II was a peculiar form of neutrality,” he wrote. “Openly, the position was that of pretending neutrality in the classic sense. Actually it was a neutrality against the Axis and for the Allies.”  -- Irish Examiner

The Irish government had made a grave political blunder by not openly declaring for the Allies. As it was, more southern Irishmen voluntarily fought in Allied armies during WWII than Ulstermen.  But de Valera’s idiocy got Ireland mislabeled as pro-Nazi.

Right now, Ireland is making a similarly serious blunder. The government and the people are picking up the banner of anti-Zionism. And this anti-Zionism is morphing into outright anti-Semitism.

Israel is trying to “accomplish Jewish supremacy,” deputy chairperson of the lower house of Ireland’s parliament Catherine Connolly wrote in a parliamentary question this month. -- JPost

“Jewish supremacy” is a loaded term harkening back to the spurious Protocols of the Elders of Zion. And this is not just coming from sidelined politicians -- like America’s Squad. One Irish person tweeted:

"No way is the protocols a hoax, sure all ya have to do is look at who supposedly 'debunked' them... The Jewish owned London Times."  -- as cited in JPost

In America, the Squad and anti-Semites are outliers from the political mainstream, but in Ireland, such opinions are part of the political mainstream.  A few examples are below.

TD (Member of the Irish Dail) attacks Israeli ambassador.

Dublin City Hall flies Palestinian flag.

There are calls to ban Israeli goods.

The reason given for this insanity is that the Irish see the Arabs as fellow victims of British imperialism, and hence identify with the Arabs. But this is a deceptive superficial analysis. If they would forget Britain’s actions -- which were often as much anti-Jewish as anti-Arab -- the Irish are more similar historically to the Jews.

The core question is who has the ancient pedigrees to their land. In this, the Jews and the Irish are identical. The Gaels are indigenous to the whole island of Eire, while the Jews are indigenous to the land west of the Jordan River. The pro-British Orangemen were a garrison population planted in Ulster, while the Arabs took over in the Holy Land.

To show sympathy for Arab separatism in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) is akin to showing sympathy for pro-British Orange separatism in Ulster. Are the Irish schooled in basic logic?

Yet, once again, the Irish are shooting themselves in the foot. The Irish are bending over backwards for Palestine.

Palestinians welcomed a move by the Irish parliament on Wednesday to condemn Israel’s “de facto annexation” of Palestinian territory, making it the first EU member state to take such a stance. -- Mondoweiss

Ireland is now a major technology hub in Europe… in the world. As such, do the Irish really want to annoy Israeli Jews, who are a major force in world technology? Whose assistance do the Irish need?

Hebrew speakers are in great demand all across Ireland, as head offices need to communicate with their R&D offices and supply chains in that other tech capital of the world: Israel. -- Blog -- The Times of Israel

...the Jewish presence in Ireland has actually increased by as much as 30% in recent years thanks to the influx of Israelis who have come to work in the tech capital of Europe. -- Blog -- Times of Israel

Are the Irish nuts? They need Jews, but stick up for Palestinians?!  Does Ireland want to lose their Jews? All of Ireland’s economic miracle will evaporate if the Irish do not restrain their anti-Semitic idiocy.

America recently had to warn Ireland that if it banned goods from Judea and Samaria, American corporations would be required to leave Ireland, as such a boycott would violate U.S. law.

US Congressmen accused of bullying Ireland over Israeli settlement goods boycott -- Irish Central

The threat was quite real. Apple, Google, and Facebook are major factors in the Irish economy.

Ireland is now a first-world nation. It has a higher per person income than England. It has to start acting like a first-world nation. Israel detested the British after their struggles with England, yet as Israel got more prosperous, they had to mend fences with England, even if Menachem Begin never got over his hatred for them.

Ireland has to act similarly in world affairs. It has to stop considering itself as blue-eyed victims of European racism. It has to make practical, not emotional judgments.

Would Ireland be better served by working with Jews or with Palestinians? If the Jews quit Ireland, do the Irish think Palestinians can replace Israeli expertise?

Simultaneously, the Ulster question is going Ireland’s way. Already the British have moved the UK/EU border to the Irish Sea, treating Ulster as if it were almost under Irish rule. The Orangemen rioted over this.

It would not take too much of a push to swing Ulster into a more prosperous Ireland, provided that Ireland remains prosperous. Such prosperity will disappear if Ireland descends into a vicious social anti-Semitism that mimics pre-war Europe. If Ireland becomes more hostile to Jews, do they think their high-tech economy will continue to grow as Jews flee? Will American firms remain? Would the trend to unification with Ulster proceed?

Do the Irish hate Jews more than they love their own prosperity, their own country, and a historic resolution to the problem of Ulster? 

Ulster?! Ireland’s “West Bank.” The Irish want Ulster back like the Jews want Judea and Samaria. What have the Irish failed to understand?

The Irish have to stop this idiocy. They have a chance to become a West European bedrock of wealth. They have to stop its victim mentality, and they have to root out their anti-Semitism, or Ireland will economically collapse. The Jews are not going to leave Judea and Samaria, but if Ireland proceeds further down their path of anti-Semitism, and if Ireland’s economy collapses, the last of its Gaels will leave that forlorn island for good. And this time, they cannot blame the British.

For interest: There are a few brave Gaels who support Israel.

Image: Quinn Dombrowski

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