An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2021-10-12
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Rónán Mullen (IND), National University of Ireland

I would like to follow up on and commend Senator Ned O'Sullivan on what he had to say about antisemitism and the decision by author Sally Rooney to refuse permission for her novel to be translated into Hebrew. Perhaps somebody needs to remind her that Israeli people are normal people as well. Perhaps this is an example of when virtue signalling can actually turn quite vicious, wittingly or unwittingly.
It is in that context that I wanted to raise the recent 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. After that session, 48 countries, led by Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, issued a statement pledging to combat the growing international scourge of antisemitism, and Ireland was not a signatory to that statement. I would like to know, and I would like a debate at which we can ask the Minister, why not. What possible reason could there be for the Irish Government not to sign up to such a statement? This very strange omission by the Government comes at a time of growing evidence of antisemitism here. Within our political system, in academia, on our streets and, of course, on social media, we see the problem increasing by the day. We have seen it in politics. We have even seen it in these Houses on occasions, and I will not mention the people or the parties, but we see subtle and tacit support being given to individuals and groups who are on the record as supporting the genocide of Jewish people.
Much of this arises from the ongoing conflation of Zionism with antisemitism. In other words, some people seem unable to draw the line between opposing Israel's actions as a state on the one hand and opposing Jewish people on the other. I am on the record of this House as being very uncomfortable, to put it mildly, with how the state of Israel conducts itself at times, particularly in regard to settlements. There is an increasing trend among the Irish political class to strongly criticise that country while remaining mute about antisemitism. Last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, stated that he seeks to be balanced and fair, that he has criticised Israel's foreign policy towards Palestinians and that he has been extremely critical of violent movements such as Hamas. That has to be acknowledged, but at the same time I do not like it when, one week, he excoriates Israel in the Dáil for its retaliation against Hamas and then days later meets the Foreign Minister of Iran, the very country that is arming Hamas with rockets designed to kill Jewish citizens. Mit Brennender Sorge , I ask for a debate on this important issue as early as possible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2021-10-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-10-12