Sir, – The Israeli ambassador to Ireland and the American-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are prominent among those deployed by Gavin Reddin (Letters, May 29th) to contradict President Michael D Higgins, who warned last Friday that it is “grossly irresponsible” when those “representing the Jewish state” seek “to encourage fear where it doesn’t exist” with regard to the prevalence of anti-Semitism in Ireland (News, May 27th).
The ADL, since its formation, has consistently labelled criticism of the state of Israel as a form of anti-Semitism. This is of a piece with the Israeli state’s own behaviour when dealing with critics of its human rights record.
We must always be watchful for proclivities toward anti-Semitism and, certainly, it would be grotesque to blame Jewish people in Ireland for the actions of the Israeli state. Why would they be held responsible for the behaviour of this rogue political entity? Indeed, many Jews throughout the world, including in Ireland, have raised their voices strongly in support of Palestinian human rights and self-determination.
Unfortunately, Israel and some of its less sophisticated supporters are not helping in this regard because they persist in describing opposition to Zionism (a political belief system), as criticism of the Israeli state and, at times, even support for Palestinian rights as anti-Semitism. – Yours, etc,
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Is Ireland anti-Semitic, an outlier of tolerance or in the middle ground?
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FINTAN LANE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
