Jewish Groups Threaten Irish PM With 'Serious Action' During His Diplomatic Trip to U.S.

Jewish representative groups have addressed "antisemitism and vilification of Israel" in Ireland with Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Mr Martin attended a meeting with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Washington DC on Friday.

[...] [T]he AJC said the groups wanted to directly address concerns about "antisemitism and the demonisation of Israel in Ireland".

It said Ireland is seen as "one of the most problematic countries in Europe".

AJC director of international Jewish affairs Rabbi Andrew Baker said: "Antisemitism is pervasive in Ireland, posing serious risks for its 3,000 Jews, many of whom hold Israeli citizenship.

"Alongside physical harassment and attacks, widespread anti-Israel sentiment — including in parts of the government — affects daily life. Jewish school children face bullying, university students encounter hostility, and workplaces are increasingly unwelcoming."

In the meeting, Mr Baker expressed AJC's "grave concern over Ireland's vilification of the State of Israel", in particular joining the South African case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

It also raised President Michael Higgins' "attacks on Israel", and Mr Martin's "own deeply problematic remarks".

The AJC said Mr Martin had accused Israel of committing war crimes, pursuing "collective punishment of the Palestinian people," as well as using "starvation as a weapon of war".

The group said that Mr Baker explained that these statements are "contributing to antisemitism facing Ireland's Jews" and urged him to pull back from its engagement with the ICJ.

The ACJ said if such action and statements continue, it will advocate for the US government to "take serious action in response".

The representative group announced that Mr Martin said Ireland would soon appoint a national coordinator to oversee efforts to counter antisemitism as well as develop a national strategy.

Mr Baker also asked Mr Martin not to pursue the country's Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

The existing Bill is not in the Government's published legislative schedule but Mr Martin previously signalled the Government was instead likely to seek to create a new Bill with its required changes.

In a statement, ADL senior vice president for international affairs Marina Rosenberg said the groups met Mr Martin to address the challenges facing the small Irish Jewish community, including "an atmosphere of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias".

Ms Rosenberg added: "We urged concrete steps including the implementation of the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism and the appointment of a National Coordinator for government policies against antisemitism.

"We expect the Irish government to act swiftly and will be closely monitoring the situation."

A spokesman for Mr Martin said the engagement was "very positive" and included discussion on "the impact of rising antisemitism on Jewish communities around the world".