The Israeli Ambassador has said she is scared for the future of the Jewish community in Ireland amid what she describes as a rise in antisemitism here.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Ambassador Dana Erlich said more and more Jewish people in Ireland are “afraid to speak in Hebrew or to show any physical manifestations of their identity because of a fear of retaliation”.
She added that she would “not have expected to see that in Ireland” before she was stationed here.
Ambassador Erlich has not returned to Ireland since she was recalled to Israel in protest at the decision to recognise the state of Palestine in May.
Speaking to Pat Kenny to mark the first anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, Ambassador Erlich said people in Ireland need to accept that antisemitism needs to be combatted here.
“When I woke up this morning, the morning of October 7th, a year since this horrible war, tragic war started, I'm not just scared for the personal safety of my family, my friends, my people in Israel,” she said.
“I'm scared for the future of the Jewish communities, the Israeli communities, in Ireland and in the world, when so much hatred and disinformation is being so quickly spread.
“We saw, throughout this year, personal incitement against me, against our embassy.
“The Israeli and Jewish communities in Ireland are concerned … This is what keeps me up at night.
“What the future of the Jewish and Israeli community in Ireland will look like if right now, people are dismissing the rise of antisemitism.
“If people do not understand that antisemitism needs to be combated in Ireland, that is what I'm concerned about.”
Israel Gaza war
The October 7th attack killed around 1,200 people in Israel, with another 250 taken hostage
The Israeli bombardment of Gaza in the 12 months since has killed over 41,000 people, with over 95,000 injured.
The World Health Organisation estimates that by late July, more than 22,500 people had suffered life-changing injuries in the Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people have been killed since Israel intensified its attacks on neighbouring Lebanon in recent weeks.
Asked if the recent claims by President Michael D Higgins that the Israeli Embassy had ‘leaked’ his letter to the incoming President of Iran had fuelled antisemitism in Ireland, Ambassador Erlich said her embassy “values the office of the President” and has continuing engagement with the Irish Government.
“What I am concerned about is that sometimes we see repeatedly in Ireland, accusations against Israel - baseless accusations - are spreading so quickly without checking,” she said.
“So, it's also the role of the media to question, whenever there is a statement like that.
“We saw those really baseless, false accusations that are levelled at us and that concerns us.”
Antisemitism
She said she was focusing on “different manifestations of antisemitism” in the Irish media and public discourse rather than the President’s comments.
“When those accusations are being levelled at Israel, at our embassy, at the people who work at the embassy - the Jewish communities - I think there needs to be an understanding of the role and responsibility that plays within the public,” she said.
“We see more and more Israelis and Jewish people who are afraid to speak in Hebrew or to show any physical manifestations of their identity because of a fear of retaliation.
“I would not have expected that in Ireland.”
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