Diarmaid Ferriter, much like numerous Irish scholars, insists on perceiving global events through the paradoxically skewed lens of Irish history, a point which he made clear in his recent article, “Instead of gushing over Joe Biden, Simon Harris should denounce US funding of Israel”, published in the Opinion & Analysis section on September 27th. Contrary to this standpoint, just because Ireland depends on the Irish diaspora for its diplomatic ties with the United States doesn’t mandate Israel to operate in similar fashion. The remarkable influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the US lies in its ability to attract not just the Jewish or Israeli diaspora, but also vast amounts of Christians, inclusive of the Irish diaspora.
Dr David Woods, member of the Department of Classics at the University College Cork, stands by this viewpoint.