Central Bank of Ireland confirms it will no longer approve sale of Israeli ‘war bonds’

[Everexpanding]

Good news. Political pressure, protests and letters beginning to work

www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/09/01/israel-to-market-war-bonds-through-luxembourg-as-irish-authority-expires/

Its a bit late to recognise antisemitism only when Jews are killed.

My point @Everexpanding was that on a discussion about the Irish having prejudices against certain groups, many seem happy to admit to a bias against the English.

Less keen to admit to having a bias against Jews though some seem happy to admit to having an affinity with Palestinians in Gaza. Which currently leads to a huge amount of criticism - much justified but some exaggerated - against Israel.

Please explain how the Irish being oppressed by the British has them force teaming themselves with the current Palestinian fight for liberation, considering that Ireland became a republic nigh on a hundred years ago.

Ireland have not just started "force teaming themselves" with the current Palestinian fight for liberation it goes way back It is not just about being oppressed by the British, many of the same British colonial officers served in both Ireland and British Mandate Palestine, the black and tans who terrorised the Irish were then sent to Palestine.

Nationalism and virulent racism or any other ism often follow emancipation and Independence.
Ireland is no different. And your attempt to deflect the fact that an oppressed people does not mean a sanctified people incapable of oppressing others shows that you know this
Not sure what point you're trying to make here? Who did Ireland oppress after their independence? They oppressed themselves through the Catholic church. Who has said we are a sanctified people?

many seem happy to admit to a bias against the English.

No I was suggesting there is an English historical bias about the history of Ireland so wouldn't fully trust an English historian when it comes to discussing that period in Ireland. I'm not talking about English people in general

Oh so you don’t think the Irish have a bias against the English for historical reasons?

Well yes, why wouldn't Irish people trust a British writer, unless they are mired in bigotry?
The Irish are now mired in bigotry?
I was suggesting a British historian reporting on that period in Ireland has a bias.

In what context are you referring to?

Read what I wrote again. I didnt say the Irish are bigoted. I said your point only makes sense kp,ifIrish people are too prejudiced to read a British writer. Please dont twist things - everyone see it and it doesnt hep discussion.

No particular context, just do you think the Irish have a bias against the English?

Or only the English & their historians according to you having a bias against the Irish?

I didn't mean to twist I did not understand the point
everyone see it and it doesnt hep discussion.
Christ that's me told

I did read your article and I recognised a bias from it with regards to that period in history. I am not too prejudiced to read an English historian I think that's you twisting things now, I just can recognise the bias in the piece you shared.

I think Irish people have some mistrust of British Institutions due to past history which included collusion with loyalists and cover ups, I don’t think Irish people dislike individual British people or hold past history against them. Uk pupils have been taught little about the bad parts of British colonial history, the Irish famine included. I think history when written by the oppressor often exhibits some bias so anyone reading it should maintain awareness of that

No I don't think the Irish have a bias against the English and vice versa in general. I do think both often have different interpretations of what happened during that period of Irish history and why the troubles started in the north.

The English also held very negative views of Irish people right up to the 80s and many still do so sometimes it is probably an unconscious bias. I was watching a video this week filmed in England (I think late 70s early 80s) interviewing English people about what they thought of the Irish. It was very negative
They're different to us, not as educated, a bit slow, drink too much, don't want them here, wish they'd go home, raised different to us and so on. Many Irish people living in England in that time had difficult experiences so of course that stays with people. My own aunt was a midwife in London and hid her accent travelling on public transport so she wouldn't get abuse. She'd a strong cork accent so that was no mean feat.

But what you actually said in response to me posting an article by a serious historian who also has personal history in Ireland was You seriously expect Irish people to trust the narrative of an English historian who writes for the spectator!

So he couldn't be trusted not because of anything he said in the article but because he is 'English' (even with Irish heritage) and writes on occasion for a magazine you don't like. I didn't twist anything. Your respobse is there in your own words.

SSM has Irish family. He talks very fondly about them in the article. He would have more of them if they hadn't been forced to leave Ireland. He has researched and produced a Channel 4 doc on Irish nationalism. His article was wide ranging and nuanced. He said himself that the episide 'does not reflect on all Irish people then or now. Indeed, at the same time as the pogrom in Limerick in 1904, an Irish Jew, Otto Jaffe (no relation) was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast for the second time. So this must always be a nuanced picture.'

Now you're saying you picked up bias in the article. Great, but you don't say what it is. That wasn't your initial response. You also asked for an explanation of the relevance to today which the article very much addresses and I also mentioned across several posts. But the relevance is very clear in the vehemence of everexpanding in completely denying the history of antisemitism in Ireland. Why she is so invested in that, I obviously dont know.

This is not news nor is it something anyone is disputing. Everyone knows the British have historic bias against the Irish. I could tell you about all the work I have done professionally to counter it and how I have visited Ireland as a guest of the Irish government, but no doubt you wouldn't believe me (seriously, this is very funny). It was you who said You seriously expect Irish people to trust the narrative of an English historian.

The issue here is someone saying that the history of antisemitism in Ireland is bullshit.

No the issue at hand is Ireland being accused of having a history of anti semitism it doesn’t have to undermine the Irish governments valid criticism of Israel’s current actions including the indiscriminate killing and starvation of a corralled civilian population

This is mind boggling actually. Who would you trust? Only Irish people can tell Irish history? Which Irish people? There are some pretty deep fractures and schisms in Irish society. How do you decide who can speak about what? There are some wonderful Irish historians of British history, some of the nest in their fields. Should I not trust them? How long does an immigrant live in a society before they are accepted to tell its history?

the issue at hand is Ireland being accused of having a history of anti semitism it doesn’t have to undermine the Irish governments valid criticism of Israel’s current actions including the indiscriminate killing and starvation of a corralled civilian population.
I think the majority of Irish people do not feel their hovernment has done enough. I hope they pass the Occcupied Territories Bill soon

Government

So he couldn't be trusted not because of anything he said in the article but because he is 'English' (even with Irish heritage) and writes on occasion for a magazine you don't like. I didn't twist anything. Your respobse is there in your own words.
I have read the article before it wasn't new to me and I can see his bias. I didn't dismiss it because he is English I dismissed it because it lacks any evidence to back up his claims

Now you're saying you picked up bias in the article. Great, but you don't say what it is.
Complete lack of context as to why Ireland may struggle to support Britain in WW2, statements about

But Ireland’s animosity has also been marked by visceral hostility from the government and activists to the very existence of Israel

the Irish government, backed by many activists in media and academia, has shown deepening hostility to Israel.

Blanket statements like this with no evidence to back it up. The author is starting from the perspective that Ireland is antisemitic and goes from there without evidence or context.

The misguided idea that the Palestinian experience at the hands of Israel is similar to that of the Irish with the British; and the simplistic, ahistorical ideology of decolonialization, in which the Palestinians are virtuous oppressed and the Israelis are iniquitous oppressors.

Fails to mention why? It's more then just oppression it's the black and tans the same British officers in both Ireland and mandate Palestine

But Ireland’s animosity has also been marked by visceral hostility from the government and activists to the very existence of Israel, by a lack of proportion and perspective in policy toward the Jewish state, by the deployment of medieval antisemitic tropes, harassment of Jewish students, and the inversion of Jewish history against Jews and Israelis, and by the blind acceptance of the often mendacious Hamas terrorist narrative. On the ground, the Irish contingent in the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in Lebanon, appointed to enforce the disarmament of Hezbollah, turned a blind eye to the terrorist group as they attacked Israel. This did not appear out of thin air; it has a background and this story is a small part of it.
This paragraph. Where's her s evidence?

You wouldn't accept these blanket statements about Israel without evidence not sure why you expect me to about Ireland.

It’s been really interesting reading about all of this- I have Irish grandparents on both sides and my families businesses were burned down in the troubles, we also had land taken from us a few generations ago. I’d never read about the connection.

It's relevant to your claim that the idea of antisemitism in Ireland is bullshit. Other places have it worse is not an excuse, and quite insulting to Irish victims of antisemitism.

Trying to undermine warranted criticism of Israel’s breaches of international law by claiming the country criticising is somehow innately anti semitic is insulting to victims of real anti semitism. Undermining the real definition of anti semitism by claiming opposition to genocide is anti semitic is insulting to the real victims of anti semitism.
please illustrate your claims with more evidence than one “pogrom” where nobody died, I am not saying what occurred in Limerick in 1904 was not wrong just that it does not show a long history of anti semitism

Putting the word pogrom in sarcastic quotes and wanging on about how nobody died is pretty fucking undermining. If nobody died is your bar for antisemitism then it kind of makes your claim of antisemitism in Ireland being bullshit well, bullshit.

Have you been to Limerick?