Not all Jews are Zionists — Alan Shatter does not speak for me
As the granddaughter of a Holocaust escapee who fled to Ireland, I am horrified by former justice minister Alan Shatter’s comparison of the Occupied Territories Bill with boycotts against Jews in 1930/40s Germany. File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
As I watched Tuesday’s committee hearing on the Occupied Territories Bill before the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, I was once again dismayed by the representation of Jews in Ireland, and the speeches delivered in our name on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the illegal occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
As a non-Zionist Jew from Dublin, my Irish identity has always been just as important to me as my faith and ethnicity. The past 21 months have caused increasing tensions between those in my community who stand in solidarity with Palestine and those whose loyalties remain with Israel, no matter how many red lines they cross.
The horrors of October 7 will never fade from the collective Israeli memory. The trauma induced by Hamas’ massacre and taking of hostages has caused irreparable damage to each and every Israeli and Palestinian.
In the wake of October 7, not only have we witnessed a live-streamed genocide in Gaza, but also a shocking acceleration of violence and displacement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. While I have been vocal in my condemnation of Hamas, it is imperative that we acknowledge that the suffering of Palestinians did not begin in the aftermath of the Hamas attack, but 77 years earlier with the Nakba.
As the granddaughter of a Holocaust escapee who fled to Ireland, I am horrified by former justice minister Alan Shatter’s comparison of the Occupied Territories Bill with boycotts against Jews in 1930/40s Germany. It is beyond me that anyone would see fit to compare innocent Jews persecuted by the Nazis with Israeli settlers who we have seen systematically annex, violently attack and displace Palestinians across the occupied territories.
While Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir and Israel Katz have openly called for ethnic cleansing, the illegal expansion of Israel’s territories, and the establishment of a ‘Humanitarian City’ which has been compared by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert to a ‘concentration camp’ respectively, Tuesday’s representatives of the Ireland Israel Alliance and the Irish Jewish Community instead relied on deflection and accusations of anti-Semitism to oppose the proposed bill.
Chairman of the Jewish Council of Representatives Maurice Cohen claimed the Occupied Territories Bill was not about politics but that it is "performative", a "symbol without substance". While I agree that the scope of the Occupied Territories Bill is insufficient if we are to pressure Israel into making any real changes in their policies, passing it may set a new precedent and lead to the adoption of similar bills by other countries.
I agree wholeheartedly in the value of diplomacy, however, it has become abundantly clear that Netanyahu and his government are unwilling to participate in meaningful discussion, prioritising the destruction of Gaza over the safe return of the hostages, time and again.
Ireland Israel Alliance Barrister Natasha Hausdorff’s reluctance to refer to the West Bank by its proper name speaks volumes. As does her reference to the "disputed territories" rather than the "occupied territories".
Speaking in biblical terms of Judea and Samaria, Hausdorff attempts to undermine and erase Palestinian legitimacy and any possibility of true self-determination. Basing the status and boundaries of Israel on religious texts written thousands of years ago, highlights a level of ideological fundamentalism that would not be tolerated or indulged if argued in the context of any other political regime.
It is essential during any discussion of the West Bank and East Jerusalem that we view the actions of the Israeli government, IDF and settlers within the context of international law. Those opposing the Occupied Territories Bill refused to acknowledge the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal, with Hausdorff claiming “one cannot occupy what is one’s own sovereign territory”.
This also starkly contradicts numerous UN resolutions which clearly state that Israeli settlements across the occupied territories are a violation of international law. Critics also emphasised the "message" such a bill sent to Jews both in Israel and the diaspora, though there was no acknowledgement of the very dangerous message sent by Israel’s continued military and political protection of such settlements and the brutal violence, destruction and displacement imposed by Israeli settlers upon Palestinians in the occupied territories.
As she rounded off her initial address at the Oireachtas hearing, Hausdorff quite rightly highlighted the financial and reputational risks which may result from Ireland’s continuing support of Palestine. While I personally believe that boycotts, divestment and sanctions are now imperative, I understand the potential economic consequences of such actions given Ireland’s position as the second largest purchaser of Israeli goods in the world.
Where I differ from the opinions shared, is the question of morality. I cannot abide by any worldview that prioritises profit over human rights, religious and political agendas over facts and respect for international law.
Ireland is very much at risk of gaining a reputation as an empathetic and ethically critical nation, however financially entangled we appear to be in Israeli and US pharma and tech corporations. As an Irish woman, such a reputation is something I would be proud of.
No country is above the law and claiming that criticism of Israel or its illegal settlements is anti-Semitic is a blatantly manipulative strategy which aims to silence dissent. For those who feel deeply uncomfortable, isolated or personally wounded by criticism of Israel and Zionism, I would simply urge introspection and perspective.
Having watched 21 months of collective punishment, human rights abuses, displacement and what has now been termed genocide by leading scholars in the field, none of us should feel comfortable. That such atrocities are being committed "in our name" should outrage Jews globally.
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