We know from innumerable precedents that no matter what historical truths are presented, the anti-Semites will always find a way to justify their Jew-hatred.
The Irish Senate approved a bill on December 5th criminalizing “West Bank settlement activity.” After the bill passed, Irish senators stood and cheered, clearly proud of their exemplary courage and moral superiority.
According to the Irish Senator who submitted the bill, Frances Black, it was important for Ireland to show Palestinians that “…someone out there cares … (and) Ireland will always stand on the side of international law and justice….” For good measure, she added that Ireland had to act to ensure that “… (if) certain goods are produced as a result of war crimes, then we should not be trading in them.”
This putative legislation (it must still be approved by Ireland’s House) should not come as a surprise to friends of Israel, given Ireland’s longstanding sympathy for the Palestinian cause, perhaps best exemplified by the Sinn Fein Party and Dublin’s mayor supporting the BDS movement.
Now, it might very well be that Israel and Ireland’s Jews have done a poor job defending Israel’s position with regards to Judea and Samaria, but we know from innumerable precedents that no matter what facts we marshal, no matter what the historical truths, the anti-Semites will always find a way to justify their Jew-hatred.
We can trot out the many cases where Ireland is happily trading with countries who have forcibly and aggressively confiscated territories of their neighbours; we can point out the clauses in international law that clearly support Israel’s continued control over areas seized in defensive wars; we can remind the Irish that Judea and Samaria were meant to be part of Israel according to the U.N.’s original partition plan; we could let the Irish know that, despite their grandstanding, the Palestinians are not exactly lacking for friends (witness last week’s overwhelming anti-Israel votes at the U.N. as well as the billions of dollars various European countries keep pouring into Palestinian pockets); we could also mention the inconvenient truth that the Palestinians have turned down numerous offers to have their own country but what would be the point? Seventy years of telling the truth hasn’t changed the minds of these anti-Semites. and there is little chance of a sudden epiphany.
The True War Crimes
Let’s be gracious and say that Senator Black is unaware of the statutes and intricacies of “international law,” but it’s not simple ignorance that leads one to characterize the Israeli presence or activities in Judea and Samaria as being “war crimes.” The only war crimes taking place in that part of the world are the indiscriminate firing of rockets and other incendiary devices into Israeli territory, the cold-blooded murder of civilians at work or crossing the street, building tunnels through which terrorists attempt to access Israeli villages, glorifying the killers of innocents and financially rewarding their families, hiding armaments and munitions in hospitals and schools, exposing women and children to potential harm for propaganda purposes, and finally, fabricating and distorting history to justify land claims.
If the Irish people truly wanted to help the Palestinians, they would be lobbying for a change in Palestinian leadership and they would withhold any financial transfers until the Palestinians confront and overcome their nihilistic and Jew-hating psychosis. Instead, they reinforce the fictitious Palestinian narrative and ensure that peace will be even more distant.
Growing Number of Countries Coming to Israel’s Side
This will probably come as a shock to Ireland, but the fact is that there is a growing number of countries who recognize the unique challenges Israel faces. In the past decade, Israel has made significant diplomatic inroads around the world, with deepening ties to strategically-important countries such as India and China and new or revitalised relationships with a number of smaller countries. Every day, it seems that more and more people around the world are coming to understand, if not outright sympathise, with Israel’s situation.
But for every Chad or Solomon Islands or the Czech Republic or Hungary, sadly, it seems there is also an Ireland.
