"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing" so quoted Irish American President John F. Kennedy in a speech before Canadian lawmakers in Ottawa, on May 17, 1961, citing 17-century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke.
I am a proud Irish patriot. Both sides of my family fought for the cause of Irish independence. I myself have been involved in many Irish business organizations for over 15 years where I live in Hong Kong and have met many Irish politicians over the years. Including Simon Harris who just a few days ago announced Ireland will officially recognize a Palestinian state.
This is too much for me to bear. I can't just sit on the sidelines and say nothing while the butchers that are Hamas are still alive while so many innocent lives have been destroyed – both in Israel and Gaza – from their actions and Israel's response. Which Hamas fully knew would come. While they hide in their tunnels and bunkers with hostages like the cowards they are.
Nobody wants innocent lives spilled. Nobody Irish. Nobody Israeli. Hamas are evil and are responsible for all of this bloodshed.
I know there is a lot of anti-Irish sentiment in Israel right now. I read the papers and I hear from friends. And rightly so. But I want you to know I stand by Israel. So do all of my Irish friends. Maybe I'm naïve but I believe that Irish people are not antisemitic. They certainly are ignorant of the truth.
How on earth do Irish media and Irish politicians equate Hamas and Gaza with the struggle for independence in Ireland? It sickens me to my core. Hamas has gone way beyond the dark days of terrorism that I grew up with in Ireland with the IRA. Most people born in the Republic of Ireland did not support the actions of the IRA, including me. Thank God those dark days are over.
But did the IRA ever put babies in microwaves and burn them? No, but Hamas did; I have seen the photos. Did the IRA hack off the heads of farmers including many Thai migrant workers in a kibbutz? No, but Hamas did; I have seen the videos. Did the IRA send around voice recordings celebrating how many women and children they just killed? No. But Hamas did; I have heard the recordings.
And the repercussions are ongoing. The day Ireland made this stupid decision one of my Israeli friends just so happened to visit me in Hong Kong. Israel is a small country, just like Ireland. He told me heart-wrenching stories about his friends and family. One of his relatives kids have gone back to their former home. They were lucky not to be at home when Hamas came. His relative's best friend was not so lucky and was murdered. Half the kids in the local kindergarten are gone, killed by Hamas. How do you explain that to your children, tell me that Taoiseach. The trauma of this evil will last for generations.
This must never happen again. Which is why I fully support continued actions against Hamas until every single one of them has been removed from the planet and can return underground. This time to Satan who is clearly their father.
None of these evil acts are picked up in the Irish media. I often have debates with Irish, English and other people about what is going on in Gaza and they are totally unaware of everything I have just mentioned. But surely the Irish state should be. Surely the Israeli embassy in Dublin shared the videos, pictures and recordings that I have seen with the Irish government.
Which is why I cannot believe that Ireland has gone ahead to recognize a state where these devils will emerge from their tunnels to regain control at the first opportunity. Suspending diplomatic links is totally justified.
How did we ever get to this situation where Ireland is so pro-Palestinian? This was not the case in the past.
James Joyce made Jewish Dubliner Leopold Bloom the central character and hero in arguably one of the most famous novels of the last century. As early as 1907 he delivered a lecture entitled "Ireland, Island of Saints and Sages" in which he traced the Semitic descent of the Irish people via the Phoenician roots of the Gaelic language.
Israel's first President Chaim Herzog was born in Belfast and grew up in Dublin. Our first Taoiseach Eamonn de Valera and Isaac Herzog - who left Ireland in 1937 to become Chief Rabbi of Palestine -were great friends. In 1965 the Irish Jewish community honoured him by planting a forest of ten thousand trees near Nazareth. Why? At the time Jacob Herzog said, "Eamon de Valera's leadership, integrity, deep humanity and sense of purpose have for many decades now left their imprint on the international community. In Israel, it is not forgotten that in the crucial years of struggle for independence, he evinced understanding and sympathy towards the restoration of Israel in the land of its fathers. The forest which will rise in his name in the Galilee will, I have no doubt, be a lasting symbol of friendship between Ireland and Israel."
I wonder whether that forest is still there. I hope to see it sometime. But right now I don't know when I will next go to Israel.
I love the country, I love the history, I love the people, I love the food and I find Tel Aviv one of the nicest places to hang out on earth. There was a reason God chose Israel as his chosen land and chosen people.I have always been welcomed in Israel with open arms and I count myself lucky to have many Israeli friends and Jewish pals more widely.
But I can't help thinking as an Irishman I will be quite unwelcome at present. My colleagues and clients are well aware I support Israel. El Al asks a lot of questions at the best of times. Would they even let me board? What about the immigration officer when I land at the airport? What about the hotel staff when I check in and hand over my passport? What about everybody noticing my accent in bars and restaurants? I don't know the answer and I'm not sure if I want to find out any time soon.
So I don't know when I will next be in Israel. I just wanted to write to let you know you to know not all Irish are anti-Israel.
And for those who support Israel, I say it's time to stand up and be counted. Tell the truth about what Hamas did. Have the uncomfortable conversations with people ignorant of what exactly these murderers did. Because Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
God Bless Israel.
