Ireland’s chief rabbi has called on all political leaders to issues statements of support for Israel and to condemn the attacks by Hamas.
Yoni Wieder told RTÉ’s News at One that the Irish Jewish community expected “outright condemnation” of the actions by Hamas who, he said, were using the citizens of Gaza as human shields.
Rabbi Wieder said his community was taking all the security precautions that had been recommended to them by local authorities and gardaí.
The initial reaction at the weekend among his community was “just pure shock and horror,” he said, as many members had strong family ties in Israel.
“No civilised person can see this and not be horrified, no civilized person can see this and not be numb to the core. And particularly in the Jewish community in Ireland, which has very strong ties with Israel. And we have hundreds of Israelis living here in Dublin, you really don't have to look far to find people here who have friends and family that have been impacted in the worst possible ways.
“Every few hours I've got another call or another message from a friend or a member of the community here that learns about someone they love in Israel has been killed.
“One family from the community whose aunt and uncle were taken into Gaza on Saturday, the family has no idea if they're alive and considering the images of the barbaric things that have been done to these hostages, you can imagine what it must be like to know that that's what your loved one is being subjected to.”
He said for many members of the Jewish community, war in Israel doesn't translate to any fears here in Ireland.
“But at the same time, a lot of families, and particularly Israeli families, I would say, do feel a heightened sense of anxiety. We've already seen a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in other countries over the past few days, which is definitely directly related to what's going on. And I've spoken to a number of young mothers in the community who are reluctant to send their children off to school in the morning. But we are working closely with the guards and with the local authorities, and we are grateful for their ongoing support.”
Rabbi Wieder said they were taking all the precautions that had been recommended by the local authorities and by the embassy and by the guards. “And we are happy with the security that's being put in place.”
While the Jewish community appreciated the statements by many Irish politicians, at the same time “many have stayed silent and some are even expressing support for Hamas.”
The Jewish community in Ireland would ask for “nothing less than unequivocal outright condemnation of Hamas across the political spectrum. I mean, we don't equate civilians in Gaza with Hamas. We have huge anguish and pain over the number of innocent Palestinian lives that have been lost in Gaza. And these are civilians who've been used by Hamas for years as human shields.
“Hamas is a designated terrorist organization whose aim is to murder Jews and to eliminate Israel. And they need to be condemned unreservedly. And Israel's right to protect itself needs to be expressed.”
Political leaders could demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish community “by just coming out publicly and making statements of support of Israel's right to defend itself and condemnation of Hamas. We had yesterday a vigil, at very short notice, outside the Israeli embassy, which was very well attended, including dignitaries and ambassadors from other countries to come along to those events and show their support. That would be hugely appreciated by the Jewish community here.”
