{"id":18053,"date":"2025-09-09T10:58:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T09:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/?p=18053"},"modified":"2025-09-09T10:58:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T09:58:22","slug":"ireland-and-palestine-a-crucial-vote-awaits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/ireland-and-palestine-a-crucial-vote-awaits\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland and Palestine: A Crucial Vote Awaits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Around Ireland and in its online expressions, there is vocal and colourful support for the cause of Palestine. Its flag is draped from windows, hung from gate posts and serves as WhatsApp profile pictures. PLO scarves are again in vogue, while watermelon t-shirts are worn when the weather allows, and charitable fund-raisers on behalf of Gaza seem to have people cycling the length and breadth of the country. Members of Ireland\u2019s small Jewish community have complained of anger being directed against them, unfairly, over the conduct of Israel. Pro-Palestinian advocates are, however, invariably, committed anti-racists: the kind of people who showed up for Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion. It is not a Populist movement built on resentment against \u2018an enemy within\u2019 \u2013 an outlook characterising antisemitism of the past in Ireland and elsewhere \u2013 but an aspiration, however naively expressed, for a better world, and an identification which can be traced back to the Irish people\u2019s historic experience of colonialism.<\/p>\n<p>Solidarity with Palestine is identified with leading artistic figures such as the globally renowned author of <em>Normal People<\/em> Sally Rooney, who has <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2021\/oct\/12\/sally-rooney-beautiful-world-where-are-you-israeli-publisher-hebrew\">declined to have her books translated into Hebrew<\/a><\/span>. It is a cultural phenomenon as much as political agitation. Numerous musical acts \u2013 notably Northern Irish rap group <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/current-affairs\/comment\/kneecapped-at-coachella\/\">Kneecap<\/a><\/span> \u2013 have courted cancellation and even potential criminal prosecution in the U.K. for drawing attention to the cause. It is also, admittedly, a well-received form of protest, within Ireland at least, garnering social media likes and real-world approval. It does not risk the wrath of the community \u2013 as was the case with <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/society\/covid-19-in-ireland-pandemonium\/\">dissent from the Covid consensus<\/a><\/span> \u2013 or police jackboots, as we see descending in other European countries, and the U.S..<\/p>\n<p>Ireland\u2019s octogenarian poet-President Michael D. O\u2019Higgins has been an outspoken critic of Israel over the treatment of Gaza in particular. Despite occupying a largely ceremonial role, his stance has conferred legitimacy on expressions of rage on this issue. Referred to affectionately as \u2018Michael D.\u2019, his emphasis on human rights, social justice and the arts transcends ordinary politics, but a <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2023\/jun\/19\/ireland-debate-military-neutrality-president-michael-d-higgins-government\">commitment to military neutrality<\/a><\/span> \u2013 including in response to the War in Ukraine \u2013 has created tensions with the centre-right Irish government. This government under Miche\u00e1l Martin as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is also <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/europe\/-it-s-stain-shame-on-israel-irish-premier-slams-israel-as-aid-groups-warn-of-mass-starvation-in-gaza\/3639551\">a vocal critic of Israel on the international stage<\/a><\/span>, joining South Africa\u2019s genocide case against Israel earlier this year. There is evident, nonetheless, among the Irish government an underlying anxiety to avoid a serious rupture with a significant trading partner, and especially that country\u2019s sponsor the United States. Ireland remains, remarkably, <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishexaminer.com\/opinion\/commentanalysis\/arid-41644330.html\">Israel\u2019s second biggest trading partner<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Irish government may well care about innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crosshairs, and having famine inflicted on them. A more cynical, and arguably realistic, view would be that political expediency is paramount in the Irish government\u2019s response.<\/p>\n<p>A low corporation tax rate regime and other incentives over the past fifty years have attracted a raft of large U.S. companies, particularly from the tech, and pharmaceutical sectors, to Ireland, along with other investment of various kinds, predatory or otherwise. Donald Trump even owns a golf club, Doonbeg, in the west of Ireland. Since the Financial Crisis, Foreign Direct Investment has delivered consistently high economic growth and near full employment, but the attendant spiralling cost of housing, in particular, has eroded support for the parties in government. Recent decades have also witnessed unprecedented immigration into a state which, for most of its history, has been ethnically homogenous, save for the North, which remains part of the United Kingdom. There, sectarian tensions between Catholics and Protestants generated a bitter, low-intensity thirty-year conflict that ended after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Opposing factions adopted different sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict \u2013 still evident in murals on buildings across the province \u2013 thereby conflating Irish Republicanism with the cause of Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. companies in Ireland also have ties to Israel \u2013 notably <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/business\/2024\/08\/09\/irish-staff-in-the-dark-as-intel-starts-global-cuts\/\">Intel<\/a><\/span> which employs almost five thousand in Ireland and approximately ten thousand in Israel. Importantly, Israel wields even greater clout in Washington than Ireland, despite an Irish diaspora in the U.S. of over thirty million dwarfing the five million Jewish-Americans \u2013 some of whom are leading critics of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Irish government politicians often characterise Irish sovereignty as severely circumscribed by dint of our being a \u2018small, open economy,\u2019 susceptible to global shocks. As a result, government politicians tend to bend over backwards on behalf of Irish-based U.S. companies. Thus, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny is alleged to have told Facebook executives in 2013 that he would use Ireland&#8217;s presidency of the E.U. to <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishexaminer.com\/news\/arid-30908392.html\">lobby member states over data privacy laws<\/a><\/span>. Although we rarely hear of such exchanges, doubtless they occur. Ireland\u2019s strained relations with Israel \u2013 which last year <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/\u2018the most extreme country against Israel internationally\u2019\">removed its Irish embassy<\/a><\/span> describing Ireland as \u2018the most extreme country against Israel internationally\u2019 \u2013 is surely discussed, given major tech companies\u2019 evident (as we will see) allegiance to Israel. Presumably Irish government officials stress their vulnerability on this issue to the left-wing opposition, especially Sinn Fein, which emerged as a serious threat to a long-standing political duopoly in the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/current-affairs\/politics\/the-long-view-on-the-irish-general-election-2020\/\">2020 General Election<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives of U.S. and other capital surely recognise that their interests are best served by the two parties of the centre-right \u2013 compelled to coalesce in the wake of the Financial Crash \u2013 retaining power. This probably explains the leeway given to the Irish government in criticising Israel on the global stage, including joining South Africa\u2019s genocide case against Israel in January 2025. A red line would appear to be drawn, however, under any serious interruption of trade with Israel, including the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ontheditch.com\/united-airlines-illegally-transported\/\">transport of munitions to that country over Irish aerospace<\/a><\/span>, or the use by the U.S. military of Shannon Airport as a stopover.<\/p>\n<p>A looming threat to the status quo emerged prior to the 2024 General Election when, under pressure from the opposition, the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.ie\/irish-news\/politics\/fears-over-impact-of-occupied-territories-bill-on-us-companies-in-ireland-ahead-of-renewed-government-formation-talks\/a1087630091.html\">government parties agreed to adopt an Occupied Territories Bill.<\/a><\/span> This bill \u2013 a version of which was previously approved by the D\u00e1il but never brought into law \u2013 purports to place an embargo on trade with the Occupied Territories. In its current form it will not, however, apply to services. If passed, it is unlikely to amount to anything more than a symbolic gesture. It is, nonetheless, causing disquiet in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also notable that in January 2025 the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-foreign-affairs\/press-releases\/t%c3%a1naiste-announces-endorsement-of-global-guidelines-for-countering-antisemitism-and-the-ihra-working-definition-of-antisemitism\/\">Irish government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance\u2019s<\/a><\/span> (IHRA) non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism, which according to Israeli and international civil society organisations has been used \u2018to muzzle legitimate speech and activism by critics of Israel\u2019s human rights record and advocates for Palestinian rights\u2019. This definition was used to undermine Jeremy Corbyn\u2019s leadership of the Labour Party, and could have serious repercussions in the context of recent \u2018hate speech\u2019 legislation.<\/p>\n<p>In recent times, Irish government policy tends to inform, or is perhaps informed by, the content and tone of legacy media. This includes the so-called \u2018paper of record\u2019 the <em>Irish Times<\/em>, which dominates the cultural space in a similar way to the <em>New York Times<\/em> in the U.S.. The government cannot, however, easily regulate what is being said on social media platforms. As the Israeli response unfolded after the October 7 attacks, Ireland\u2019s canny neoliberal handlers would have observed the mounting fury being expressed, often by otherwise apolitical people, on platforms such as Instagram. This also became apparent in widely attended public protests. The Irish government\u2019s faltering embrace of the cause of Palestine might be interpreted as a form of controlled opposition, wherein they stand as a placeholder for genuine supporters of Palestine. Such controlled opposition of a relatively malleable proxy (Ireland) may also, at times, act as a useful counterweight to the U.S. in its dealings with its Israeli ally.<\/p>\n<p>A developing fracture within Irish nationalism associated with the advent of multiculturalism should also be noted. A nascent nativist movement departs from traditional Irish Republicanism, sympathetic to the cause of Palestine. The emergence of what is often simplistically labelled a \u2018far right\u2019 \u2013 mainly drawing support from deprived urban areas and others on the margins \u2013 is undoubtedly inspired by other Populist movements around the world. Such movements have tended to be anti-Muslim and pro-Israeli \u2013 an influential U.K. actor Tommy Robinson is an active supporter of Israel; albeit, recent criticism of the U.S.\u2019s unwavering support for Israel from leading MAGA figures likely exerts an influence over Irish fellow travellers. Nevertheless, support for Palestine is certainly still evident in Dublin\u2019s working class districts, where Palestinian flags are often unfurled.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18057\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18057\" style=\"width: 1270px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18057 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-Bono_singing_in_Indianapolis_on_Joshua_Tree_Tour_2017_9-10-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1356\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18057\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8216;our hearts and our anger, you know where that\u2019s pointed&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>A Shot Across the Bows<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018In the light of what\u2019s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence;\u2019 so said <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/u2s-bono-pays-tribute-to-beautiful-kids-slain-in-israeli-desert-rave\/\">Bono on October 8 at a concert in Los Vegas<\/a><\/span>, before adding menacingly: \u2018But our hearts and our anger, you know where that\u2019s pointed \u2026 So sing with us\u2026 and those beautiful kids at that music festival,\u2019 he continued, before launching into \u2018Pride (In the Name of Love).\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Bono would subsequently receive a <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/us\/2025\/01\/04\/bono-to-be-awarded-us-presidential-medal-of-freedom\/\">Presidential Medal of Freedom<\/a><\/span> from President Biden. His apparent endorsement of Israel\u2019s response to Hamas\u2019s brutal (but far, far less impactful) attack on Israeli civilians formed part of a global propaganda wave providing cover for Israel\u2019s actions. In the wake of October 7, dissent from the somewhat disingenuous proposition that \u2018Israeli had a right to defend itself\u2019 became almost impossible for anyone in a position of influence, including in Ireland. This became a <em>carte blanche<\/em> to attack Gaza, and elsewhere, amidst disinformation and exaggeration.<\/p>\n<p>On October 13, the founder of Web Summit, Paddy Cosgrave, one of Ireland\u2019s leading businessmen and a prominent critic of the Irish government, wrote on Twitter\/X: \u2018<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2023\/10\/22\/web-summit-ceo-paddy-cosgrave-resigns-over-israel-war-crimes-post\">War crimes are war crimes, even when committed by allies<\/a><\/span>,\u2019 referring to Israel&#8217;s airstrikes and blockade of the Gaza Strip, which the U.N. had warned could lead to mass starvation of the 2.3 million people living there. Cosgrave followed up with a message condemning the Hamas attack. In response to criticism from leading technology figures and investors, he posted a statement on the Web Summit blog apologizing and clarifying his position. \u2018I unreservedly condemn Hamas\u2019 evil, disgusting and monstrous October 7 attack. I also call for the unconditional release of all hostages,\u2019 he wrote. \u2018I unequivocally support Israel\u2019s right to exist and to defend itself \u2026 I also believe that, in defending itself, Israel should adhere to international law and the Geneva Conventions \u2014 i..e, not commit war crimes.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The apology was insufficient to sway major sponsors and headliners who announced they would boycott the Web Summit event. These included tech heavyweights Meta, Google, Intel, Siemens and Amazon, all with Irish operations. \u2018Unfortunately, my personal comments have become a distraction from the event, and our team, our sponsors, our start-ups and the people who attend,\u2019 Cosgrave said in a resignation statement; \u2018I sincerely apologise again for any hurt I have caused.\u2019 Cosgrave\u2019s maverick opposition could not be controlled, unlike, arguably, the Irish government. Nor did Cosgrave have friends within the Irish political establishment to plead his case. His immediate resignation probably saved his company, and he would return as CEO six months later.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of October 7, the Irish government seemed prepared to be going along with the U.S. position and that of the E.U., under Ursula von der Leyen, which <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/euobserver.com\/eu-and-the-world\/ar9ef26836\">projected an image of the Israeli flag over European buildings<\/a><\/span> in solidarity. T\u00e1naiste (deputy-prime minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs, currently Taoiseach, Miche\u00e1l Martin visited Israel the following month. <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thejournal.ie\/micheal-martin-israel-trip-6223983-Nov2023\/\">In response to a request from Alon Davidi<\/a><\/span>, the mayor of Sderot a town near the border with Gaza, to support Israel Martin responded: \u2018I\u2019m here to see this firsthand and to listen; to seek to understand the trauma that your community has gone through and not just in horrific events over the seventh but as you said for over two decades, if not three decades, in terms of rockets.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He then set out the Irish government\u2019s position: \u2018Ireland is unequivocal in its condemnation of the Hamas attack and will give no quarter to that form of terrorism. We are explicit in our public statements in condemning without condition the unconscionable attacks on children, on women and on innocent civilians.\u2019 Martin added that Ireland\u2019s long-standing support for a two-state solution should not be equated with support for Hamas and \u2018absolutely\u2019 affirmed Israel\u2019s right to exist \u2013 \u2018in case that is in question.\u2019 He noted that Irish-Israeli citizen Kim Damti had been murdered by Hamas and Emily Hand taken hostage in Gaza. Martin said he did not believe that a military solution would create a safe environment for future generations: \u2018We may have to disagree on that \u2013 and I respect where you\u2019re coming from \u2013 but our sense is that there\u2019s a real danger that you will radicalise opinion of future generations even more.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Martin\u2019s approach was calculated, recognizing historic Irish support for the Palestinian cause, while making sure to be seen to be on Israel\u2019s side. In response, left-wing opponents described it as a propaganda tour. Since then, Martin has been a prominent critic of Israel on the international stage, somehow reconciling this with his government <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ontheditch.com\/united-airlines-illegally-transported\/\">permitting munitions to pass through Irish aerospace,<\/a><\/span> and for Israel to remain a major trading partner.<\/p>\n<p>Martin appears to have another, more important, agenda, which would, in all likelihood, be supported by U.S. interests in Ireland. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war he sought to align Ireland more closely with the rest of the West, seemingly endeavouring to abandon a policy of neutrality that emerged during World War II and which continued over the course the Cold War, when Ireland remained outside NATO. Despite consistent opposition among the population to any change, Martin\u2019s government has pushed forward with proposals to end the so-called Triple Lock, requiring the approval of the U.N. Security Council, a decision by Government and a vote in the D\u00e1il (the legislative assembly) before Ireland commits a substantial number of troops to peace-keeping operations.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18058 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leo_Varadkar_December_2022_cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"776\" height=\"1035\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>White House Criticism<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2000, a prominent government Minister is believed to have described Ireland as being closer to Boston than Berlin. In some respects, this remains the case. Government services are generally poorly resourced relative to other European countries, while apartment-living is uncommon and the private motor car is generally relied on ahead of public transport. On the issue of Palestine, however, unlike the U.S., the Irish population has been relatively consistent in its opposition to Israeli incursions, and supportive of a two-state solution, however remote, and indeed unsatisfactory, this outcome now appears.<\/p>\n<p>There are, however, a few political outliers on this issue, one of whom seemed to be former Taoiseach <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/current-affairs\/politics\/leo-liberal\/\">Leo Varadkar<\/a><\/span>. Back in 2017, hawk-eyed Irish activists observed the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/david-cronin\/why-irelands-prime-minister-tagging-israel-lobby-facebook\">then Taoiseach\u2019s online interaction with Barry Williams<\/a><\/span>, who they considered Ireland\u2019s most ardent supporter of Israel and ran the group Irish4Israel. Then, in 2019 Varadkar replied to a letter from ten members of the U.S. Congress by <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/news\/politics\/leo-varadkar-reassures-us-politicians-over-occupied-territories-bill-1.3821071\">noting his opposition to an Occupied Territories Bill<\/a><\/span> \u2018on both political and legal grounds.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, in early 2024 speaking once again as Taoiseach, <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thejournal.ie\/varadkar-uncomfortable-about-accusing-israel-of-genocide-given-past-treatment-of-jews-6268066-Jan2024\/\">Varadkar expressed caution about accusing Israel of genocide<\/a><\/span> based on the spurious consideration that millions of Jewish people were victims of it in the past. He said the government wouldn\u2019t use the term unless it was \u2018absolutely convinced\u2019 that genocide was occurring. Responding to the question of whether Ireland would join South Africa\u2019s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) about the Israeli state\u2019s treatment of people in Gaza he said: \u2018I would be a little bit uncomfortable about accusing Israel, a Jewish state, of Genocide given the fact that six million Jews \u2013 over half the population of Jews in Europe \u2013 were killed.\u2019 Adding, \u2018I would just think we need to be a little bit careful about using words like that unless we\u2019re absolutely convinced that they\u2019re the appropriate ones.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The dial seemed to have moved considerably, however, by the time of Varadkar\u2019s last major public appearance as Taoiseach in the White House on St. Patrick\u2019s Day on March 17, 2024. This occurred just days before he announced his surprise resignation, after his government suffered damaging defeats in two referendums on references to family and women in the constitution. In a speech that was well-received in Ireland, and which seemed unusually provocative given where it took place, <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-the-taoiseach\/speeches\/speech-by-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-at-white-house-st-patricks-day-shamrock-ceremony-and-reception\/\">Varadkar said<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n<p><em>Mr President, as you know, the Irish people are deeply troubled about the catastrophe that\u2019s unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. When I travel the world, leaders often ask me why the Irish have so much empathy for the Palestinian people. The answer is simple: we see our history in their eyes. A story of displacement and dispossession, a national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination, and now \u2013 hunger.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Adding:<\/p>\n<p><em>The people of Gaza desperately need food, medicine and shelter. Most especially they need the bombs to stop. This has to stop. On both sides. The hostages brought home. And humanitarian relief allowed in.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A looming General Election perhaps explained the unusual force of the criticism. Indeed, the issue of Palestine did not become a significant electoral issue once the ruling parties agreed to introduce their own Occupied Territories Bill. Perhaps the U.S. Democratic leadership, with close ties to the Irish political establishment, recognised the political ramifications of his speech and even green-lighted his words. External criticism, moreover, might have been useful for the Biden administration in its own dealing with the Israelis, given student protests then occurring across the U.S., and their own unpreparedness to criticise Israel with the Republicans emphasising unwavering support. Meanwhile, Varadkar could sail into the political sunset with the approval of Ireland\u2019s many Palestinian activists ringing in his ears, and in a good position to take up future political roles.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18059\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18059\" style=\"width: 1190px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18059 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/President_Donald_Trump_with_Taoiseach_Micheal_Martin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18059\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Donald Trump with Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>St. Patrick\u2019s Day 2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The issue of Palestine did not figure prominently before Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin\u2019s visit to the Trump White House in 2025. The concern at that time was over the new President\u2019s tariffs wreaking havoc on the Irish economy, by forcing U.S. firms to transfer their operations to the U.S..<\/p>\n<p>At one point, however, a reporter inquired of Martin whether he planned to discuss Trump\u2019s previous plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza. At this, Trump jumped in, responding with a denial. \u2018<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/03\/13\/middleeast\/trump-gaza-relocation-comments-intl\">Nobody\u2019s expelling any Palestinians<\/a><\/span>,\u2019 he replied. Palestinians were again brought up by Trump as he reminisced about his recent speech to a joint session of Congress. The term \u2018Palestinian\u2019 was used in a bizarre fashion to insult his rivals in the Democratic Party. He described Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader as a Palestinian: \u2018as far as I\u2019m concerned. You know, he\u2019s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He\u2019s not Jewish anymore: He\u2019s a Palestinian.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Martin, nonetheless, in contrast to Varadkar\u2019s outspoken comments the previous year, lauded Trump for his approach to securing a peace agreement. After Trump was asked about the St Patrick\u2019s Day boycott, the Taoiseach interjected \u2018to pay tribute to the president on the peace initiatives\u2019 in Gaza and elsewhere. It\u2019s clear from these exchanges that Martin and his advisors were unwilling to risk any loss of influence for the sake of Palestine. Perhaps Trump also recognised that those in power in Ireland were prepared to serve U.S. interests and were, in effect, \u201ccontrolling\u201d popular Irish solidarity with Palestine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18060\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18060\" style=\"width: 537px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18060 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2022_Michael_D._Higgins_51988246304_cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"547\" height=\"771\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18060\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Michael D. Higgins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>A Looming Presidential Election<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a recent opinion piece for Ireland\u2019s so-called \u2018paper of record\u2019, the <em>Irish Times<\/em>, regular columnist Finn McRedmond (incidentally as a student in Cambridge she wrote an article revealing how she had voted for David Cameron\u2019s Conservatives in 2015) <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/opinion\/2025\/08\/21\/ireland-is-turning-itself-into-chief-finger-wagger-on-the-world-stage\/\">wrote<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n<p><em>Irish foreign policy is in a strange place right now. We are, as has long been the case, totally impotent on matters of global politics \u2013 with no real army to speak of, outside of Nato, militaristically neutral and never even close the so-called grown-ups table when the future of Europe is at stake. (Did that invite to the White House with Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte get lost in the post?)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>But simultaneously, there are plenty of members of the Irish establishment who \u2013 in full cognisance of this basic reality \u2013 believe that the world is somehow willing to listen to Ireland\u2019s lectures on affairs of international morality.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The main object of McRedmond\u2019s ire was, unsurprisingly, President Michael D. Higgins. She complained bitterly that he had bent \u2018the shape and contours of the office [the Presidency] to his whims, professing to the world on behalf of the nation as though he speaks for us all.\u2019 O\u2019Higgins\u2019 fourteen-year tenure comes to an end later this year, and McRedmond expressed concern that another left-wing candidate <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.catherineconnollyforpresident.ie\/\">Catherine Connolly<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 the natural heir to Michael D. Higgins \u2013 could win the election this November. McRedmond professed herself:<\/p>\n<p><em>anxious to learn that Catherine Connolly is a contender of relative significance. She has recently said Irish people should resist a \u201ctrend towards imperialism\u201d in the European Union, as the bloc is becoming \u201cincreasingly militarised under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen and the European People\u2019s Party\u201d; that the EU has \u201clost its moral compass\u201d; and that \u201cthe US, England and France are deeply entrenched in an arms industry which causes bloodshed across the world.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/current-affairs\/politics\/irish-timess-columnist-finn-mcredmond-in-2015-being-a-tory-does-not-make-you-a-bad-person\/\">McRedmond\u2019s own rise to prominence<\/a><\/span> as a regular columnist for the <em>Irish Times <\/em>might be traced to an influential father\u2019s acting as CEO to a commercial body \u2013 An Post the postal service \u2013 owned by the state, and political views inspired more by her time in Peterhouse College, Cambridge than the Falls Road in West Belfast.<\/p>\n<p>Her piece articulates an anxiety within the Irish establishment, a section of which she castigates, that a figure similar in her outlook to Michael D. could win the presidency. While overcoming most Irish people\u2019s reluctance to abandon neutrality \u2013 another <em>Irish Times<\/em> columnist recently described it as \u2018absurd and complacent\u2019 \u2013 and even joining NATO, appears to be the primary objective, popular Irish opposition to Isreal and attention to Gaza remains a serious inconvenience. Apart from placing the Irish government in a difficult position vis-\u00e0-vis U.S. investors, unwavering U.S., E.U. and U.K. support of Israel undermines the West\u2019s claim to moral leadership in supporting Ukraine against Russia. Most Irish supporters of Palestine are now opposed to Ireland entering any military alliance \u2013 and are increasingly hesitant about a militaristic E.U. \u2013 in any way supportive of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Irish Constitution, the President occupies a largely ceremonial position, similar to that of the monarch in the U.K.. Despite a lack of executive or legislative function, an individual, such as Michael D. Higgins \u2013 and Mary Robinson before him \u2013 may still use the platform to bring about cultural change, and legitimate outrage. Thus, what are controversial positions on Israel elsewhere in Europe and the U.S. have become the norm in Ireland. This makes it politically expedient for government politicians to represent these viewpoints. If a less radical candidate wins the forthcoming election, as seems more than likely, the heat could be taken out of criticism of Israel in Ireland. Indeed, it is possible the change to the definition of antisemitism could, in time, lead to criminal prosecutions for \u2018hate speech\u2019 under new laws, supposedly designed to counter racism.<\/p>\n<p>The plight of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation may seem remote from an Irish Presidential election that is likely to see a turnout below fifty percent, but Ireland\u2019s popular support for Palestine could easily be blunted in the absence of a legitimating figure in that office. This could have the effect of altering the tone, and content, of Palestine\u2019s most consistent advocate in Europe on the international stage. The Irish government\u2019s adoption of the IHRA\u2019s definition of antisemitism, continued permission for Irish aerospace to be used for transporting munitions, and ongoing trading ties between the two countries, do not point to genuine conviction on the part of the Irish government on this issue.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Irish government are given to portraying the country as fragile and dependent, but this ignores the significant \u2018soft power\u2019 at its disposal. It is, by most measures, an extremely wealthy country, with an enormous government surplus, and commercial banks in a far better state than before the Crash. Moreover, the country\u2019s geographic position on the edge of Europe insulates it from Europe\u2019s historic zones of conflict, including the current one in Ukraine. Contrary to media scaremongering, Russia has no designs on Ireland. There is also a vast Irish diaspora around the world to call on, particularly in the U.S.. Donald Trump even referred to the importance of this constituency in the aforementioned White House meeting with Martin. It explains why any Irish Taoiseach is warmly welcomed on St. Patrick\u2019s Day, no matter which President occupies the White House. Ireland\u2019s outspoken opposition to Israel will, however, be easier to control if a less steadfast individual wins the forthcoming Presidential election.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/herri.org.za\/11\/frank-armstrong\/\">This article was originally published in South African magazine Herri.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Feature Image: Daniele Idini<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Around Ireland and in its online expressions, there is vocal and colourful support for the cause of Palestine. Its flag is draped from windows, hung from gate posts and serves as WhatsApp profile pictures. PLO scarves are again in vogue, while watermelon t-shirts are worn when the weather allows, and charitable fund-raisers on behalf of &#8230; <a title=\"Ireland and Palestine: A Crucial Vote Awaits\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/ireland-and-palestine-a-crucial-vote-awaits\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Ireland and Palestine: A Crucial Vote Awaits\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18067,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,8],"tags":[320,501,612,752,1083,1084,1502,1503,1504,2076,2112,3321,3452,3749,4310,4425,4459,4472,4476,4512,4639,4644,5439,5445,5449,6097,6102,6135,6771,6941,6942,6952,8090,8425,9904,10091],"class_list":["post-18053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","category-global","category-irish","tag-affairs","tag-and","tag-antisemitism-in-ireland","tag-awaits","tag-bono-october-7","tag-bono-presidential-freedom-medal","tag-catherine-connolly","tag-catherine-connolly-for-president","tag-catherine-connolly-gaza","tag-crucial","tag-current","tag-finn-mcredmond","tag-frank-armstrong-cassandra-voices","tag-global","tag-ihra-definition-of-antisemitism","tag-intel-ireland","tag-ireland","tag-ireland-palestine-solidarity","tag-ireland-israeli-relations","tag-irish","tag-irish-solidarity-with-palestine","tag-irish-times-anti-neutrality","tag-leo-varadkar-barry-willians","tag-leo-varadkar-palestine","tag-leo-varadkar-white-house","tag-michael-d-higgins","tag-michael-martin-white-house","tag-micheal-martin","tag-occupied-territories-bill","tag-paddy-cosgrave","tag-paddy-cosgrave-october-7","tag-palestine","tag-sally-rooney","tag-sinn-fein-gaza","tag-vote","tag-who-will-succeed-michael-d"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18053\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}