Is Ireland the next Australia?

Many times, international leaders have been embarrassed when caught speaking their uncensored thoughts near a microphone they did not realize was live. At least in those cases, their may well have expressed their true emotions, it was instantly known that the words were said in what the leader thought was a private conversation.

In these cases, with western leaders, these were thoughts they did not want shared universally and certainly these leaders understood that such "honesty" was not welcomed by their supporters, let alone their detractors. 

Ironically, in the Arab world, you don't need a hot microphone to accidentally hear words that no westerner wants to hear. All you need is to listen to them when they speak in Arabic (or in English to their own people).

Israelis have shared many videos of even the highest Arab leaders calling Jews "dogs". This insult dates back even before Israel was re-established in 1948.

"Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs" first appeared in Arab demonstrations in Jerusalem in the early years of the British Mandate (1918-1919). It was also yelled out during the 1920 Nebi Musa riots.

In 2006, the chant "Al Yahud Kelabna" ("The Jews are our dogs") was heard at a demonstration in San Francisco. In 2020, the slogan was chanted in Arabic during an anti-Israel protest in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. And just this month, Sheikh Issam Setel, Deputy Head of the Jaffa Islamic Council was arrested by Israeli police after he called Jewish residents "dogs" during a protest.

Palestinian media, including Hamas TV and official Palestinian Authority newspapers, have also referred to Jews and Israelis as other animals, including snakes and octopuses. "Jews are the offspring of apes and pigs" is a common anti-Semitic phrase used by some Arab and Muslim leaders and media figures (derived from interpretations of the Quran).

What does this "history" have to do with Ireland and Australia? Well, we know what just happened in Australia, where rising antisemitism has culminated in the Bondi massacre on Chanuka. The only real question is what or when similar attacks will happen in Ireland given similar antisemitism there.

Listen to this video compiled by Israeli television journalist Tzvi Yehezkeli. The speaker is an Imam in Ireland speaking first in front of cameras to the western world where he refers to peace, diversity, and the contributions immigrants make to Ireland.

And when the cameras are not recording for Westerners, but for Muslims. What is the message by the Imam? Suddenly peace becomes kill. Suddenly, his words hint of a different future for Ireland.

With talk like this, what chance does Ireland have? And what future do Ireland's 800 Jews have? In total, approximately 2,700 Jews live in Ireland, but most are foreign workers (largely hi-tech-based). In recent years, synagogues have closed. 

A former chief rabbi of Ireland, David Rosen was quoted as saying, "Irish Jews have made a uniquely disproportionate contribution to world Jewry in other diasporas including Israel. Its legacy lives on, even if the traditional Irish community is in terminal decline.”

Terminal decline...what a perfect way to describe Ireland.