Is the Irish left anti-Semitic?

[joel]

I was held up in town (Dublin) today (Saturday 8th June, 2007) by a rally of the lefties calling for an end to the occupation of Palestine. It was a pretty pitiful display of the usual sorts, long greasy hair and unkempt looks with clothes that didn't fit them.

I've never seen a demo in Dublin any time that Israeli school-kids are blown to pieces on a bus by a terrorist bombing. Why is this, I wonder?

Could it be that the protesters are anti-Semitic?

Lovely, "anti-semitic", a catch-all for those who disagree with Israel occupying lands in contravention of the UN.

[FutureTaoiseach]

This charge is always thrown at critics of Israel as a way of silencing criticism of Israel. I am definitely not a lefty but one thing I will credit the Left for is their deserved criticism of Israel - a country claiming to be a Western democracy but - as the only Western country seeking to expand its territory by war - it is behaving more like a European colonial empire of centuries past. The Left are not anti-semitic. And as for terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians - of course I would condemn that. However, we are viewing this from a similar angle as the Northern Ireland conflict i.e. that while we condemn the terrorism, the root cause came from injustices only recently resolved. If you want to stop the terrorism, stop the occupation is the message I would give Israel. And while their at it, they should stop the settlements and the house-demolitions. Given Irish history, you cannot blame us for having a certain sympathy for separatism. And tell me this. Would you have supported British airstrikes on Dublin in response to PIRA terrorism in London? Then why support Israeli bombing in Lebanon last year, which has only served to increase any threat Israel might face by fuelling support for Hezbollah?

And while I am not anti-semitic, I would express the view that Jewish people living in Ireland ought to look at both sides of the story.

[dubsthcentralboy]

If you want to stop the terrorism, stop the occupation is the message I would give Israel.

So to follow your logic, we should've compelled the Brits to leave the North before even considering that the IRA should stop murdering people.

[DaraghM]

Well I'll be damned. FT praising lefties! And very eloquently might I add. I thoroughly agree with your comments.

[Doylers]

Yes, good post by FT

[FutureTaoiseach]

If you want to stop the terrorism, stop the occupation is the message I would give Israel.

So to follow your logic, we should've compelled the Brits to leave the North before even considering that the IRA should stop murdering people.

The difference of course is that legally NI was part of the UK whereas UN Security Council Resolutions, including 242, require Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967. In that regard, the Palestinians arguably have an even stronger case than Northern nationalists. While condemning terrorism I do not condemn resistance to illegal occupation in the form of combat against the IDF. Attacking civilians obviously does not constitute legitimate resistance to occupation. Which is also why Israel should end its targetting of civilians for house-demolition including its barbaric policy of demolishing homes of relatives of Hamas members whose only crime is to be related to Hamas members. The Zionazis need to stop their imperialism.

[rmccann]

As far as I know there are many Jewish people who would condemn of the actions of Israel, some also disagree with Zionism. Are they anti-semitic?

[FutureTaoiseach]

As far as I know there are many Jewish people who would condemn of the actions of Israel, some also disagree with Zionism. Are they anti-semitic?

I understand in the pro-Israel movement the term for them is "self-hating Jew".

[Jolly Red Giant]

The SWP have this weird 'unconditional support' for Hamas and opposition to zionism thing going so they would kind of distort the whole demo. Others on the left would have a little bit more of a developed outlook on the situation in Israel/Palestine.

And I am surprised that there is a PD member with such a forward looking attitude to the situation.

[dubsthcentralboy]

If you want to stop the terrorism, stop the occupation is the message I would give Israel.

So to follow your logic, we should've compelled the Brits to leave the North before even considering that the IRA should stop murdering people.

The difference of course is that legally NI was part of the UK whereas UN Security Council Resolutions, including 242, require Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967. In that regard, the Palestinians arguably have an even stronger case than Northern nationalists. While condemning terrorism I do not condemn resistance to illegal occupation in the form of combat against the IDF. Attacking civilians obviously does not constitute legitimate resistance to occupation. Which is also why Israel should end its targetting of civilians for house-demolition including its barbaric policy of demolishing homes of relatives of Hamas members whose only crime is to be related to Hamas members. The Zionazis need to stop their imperialism.

How disgusting to use the term Zionazi. The hatred for the Jewish people in Ireland is disgusting.

So, you seem to equate legality with the UN Security Council. What about the Irish Constitution? surely before the GFA referendum Ireland viewed the North as an occupied part of Ireland? Was resistance then legitimate? Enniskillen, Ballygawley etc?