Ireland's badge of dishonor in its phony war with Israel - opinion
A week of escalating tensions in the Ireland-Israel phony war, marked by diplomatic clashes, embassy closure and controversial statements
On Tuesday, December 17, 2024 Dr Jilan Wahba Abdul Majid, elevated from Palestine’s representative to ambassadorial status following Ireland’s recognition of the State of Palestine in May 2024 formally presented her credentials, to a joyous Irish President, Micheal D Higgins
President Higgins used the occasion, 1. to criticize Israel for breaching the sovereignty of two of its neighbors, Lebanon and Syria 2. falsely accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wanting to establish a settlement in Egypt 3. lambasted Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, for his depiction of Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris as an antisemite 4. wrongly conflating Saar's depiction, to be a “slanderous” allegation made against the Irish people
The next day, Wednesday, a picture of the ambassador inspecting an Irish army guard of honor outside the presidential residence dominated the front page of The Irish Times, Ireland’s self-proclaimed paper of record
The picture’s publication fittingly coincided with the Dáil Ireland's principal parliamentary chamber, meeting for the first time that day after the recent Irish general election
