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Anti-Semitic Incidents in Ireland Are Rare, but for the First Time I Am Concerned about My Security
(Irish Times) Oliver Sears - The Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas and the subsequent assault on Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces has seen a rise in anti-Semitism globally, including in Ireland. Many Jews in Ireland have been shaken to the core, concerned about personal safety and asking the kind of questions about their long-term future that belong to the nightmare of European Jewry in the 1930s. I can scarcely believe I am having to write these words in Ireland in 2023. Many Jews tell me they are keeping their heads down or even that they want to hide. When I tell them that my mother and grandmother were forced into hiding their identities during the Nazi occupation of Poland, and that I absolutely refuse to hide, they look at me with both admiration and concern. During my almost 40 years here, I have never hidden my Jewish identity; there have been anti-Semitic incidents, but they are rare. For the first time, however, I am concerned about my security. Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin are now campuses where Jewish students and members of staff do not feel safe. Why are Jews around the world held to account for the actions of the Israeli government when this correlation does not apply to any other country? Christians are not attacked for the predations of the U.S., nor are Muslims abused for the transgressions of Iran. The writer is founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland.