At a gathering near the Israeli embassy in Dublin, Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Yoni Wieder, contested the notion that Israel’s conflict with Hamas was retaliatory in nature following the events of October 7th, despite suggestions made by some politicians in the country. The vigil, which was in remembrance of the one-year anniversary of a brutal Hamas attack where over 1,200 individuals lost their lives and more than 250 were held captive, did not see Wieder name any specific individuals in his commentary.
Previously, in November, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had characterised the actions of Israel in Gaza as akin to retribution. Rabbi Wieder, however, passionately stated that Israel had been pushed into war with the belligerent group, Hamas, which he described as a terrorist organisation posing a threat not only to Jews and the stability of Israel, but also to civilian lives.
According to Wieder, the conflict with Hamas and Hizbullah was driven by Israel’s moral fortitude and understanding that peace would remain elusive until the violent ideologies of these groups lost their influence. He underscored every innocent life lost as a devastating humanitarian tragedy but firmly placed the blame for the suffering and fatalities of innocent Palestinians in Gaza over the previous year on Hamas.
The vigil, spearheaded by the Ireland Israel Alliance, witnessed the participation of several hundreds who listened to prayers, songs, and the reading of the names of the 101 individuals still in Hamas’s captive hold. The event’s attendees included Jewish brothers from Germany who are currently enrolled at University College, Dublin: Noel and Benjamin Porter.
When questioned regarding his experiences at UCD, Noel mused about the pro-Palestinian camp set up earlier in the year. He expressed his utmost support to freedom of speech and autonomy of opinion, yet felt uncomfortable hearing chants targeted against Zionism, being partly Israeli himself, these slogans register as personal attacks to him.
His elder brother Benjamin echoed these sentiments. He confessed that it has been challenging to listen to his peers chanting provocative phrases such as “death to Zionism” and “globalise the Intifada”. Even though he views these as an outcry from a boisterous minority, he acknowledges feeling isolated sometimes. As Jewish individuals, they are persistently on the verge of marginalisation and have learned to accept this reality, nonetheless, it doesn’t lessen the difficulty of the situation.
A different perspective came from Eithne Lalor, a resident of Terenure. She was clothed in an Israeli flag and recounted her close friendships with Israelis formed in the 1970s. Having visited the nation over ten times, she voiced her disappointment about the perceived global antagonism towards Israel and the seeming glorification of violence against them. Lalor expressed her disbelief that people could advocate for Hamas and their actions, especially so soon after the horrors of the Holocaust.
In line with the civilian casualties in Gaza, Lalor suggested a historical parallel, saying the civilian casualty rates were higher when London and Dresden were bombed during World War II. She accused Hamas of implementing a strategy of using civilians as shields by constructing tunnels around residences, hospitals, and schools, thus becoming the cause of their victimisation.