Irish Jews Face Pressure Over Israel Stance, Speakers Say

The gathering drew 300 attendees under tight security, marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel that left 1,200 people dead and 250 taken hostage to Gaza.

Gathering in Rathgar Marks Third Anniversary Under Garda Security

Sunday night’s commemorative event took place behind a heavy Garda presence and was not publicly advertised due to security concerns. Orli Degani, the incoming chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said organizers had to close registration due to overwhelming demand. Degani stated that community members increasingly feel the need to congregate in spaces where they are not forced to defend their grief or justify their fears.

We have watched Jewish people being pushed out of ordinary life, social spaces, workplaces, cultural activities and public conversations. We have watched people become afraid to say they are Jewish.Orli Degani

Degani added that it has become normal three years after the attacks for community members to be asked to put October 7th into context or qualify their grief. The event also featured remarks from Alexandra Herzog, granddaughter of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog, alongside family members of those killed in the October 7th, 2023, attacks, and John Malkinson, the Irish-born chief operating officer of the World Jewish Congress.

Differing Perspectives on Regional Conflict and Local Antisemitism

While the Rathgar gathering focused on local hostility and the pressure placed on Irish Jews regarding geopolitical events, broader reporting highlights the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry, the subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 people.

Alexandra Herzog addressed the fraught diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Israel during the Dublin commemoration, noting that the tension is personally painful given her family’s deep roots in the country. Her great-grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog, maintained a friendship with Éamon de Valera and supported Irish independence, while her grandfather Chaim visited Ireland as Israeli president in 1985 despite existing political disagreements. Herzog emphasized that political disagreements should never justify hostility toward Israelis or require Jewish people in Ireland to answer for a government thousands of miles away.

Unresolved Local Tensions and Upcoming General Elections

As Jewish communities in Ireland navigate heightened social isolation, the broader political landscape in Israel approaches a general election scheduled for 27 October 2026, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to retain power amid domestic criticism over his government’s handling of security failures.