‘We see our history in their eyes: a story of displacement and dispossession

Few EU countries have been more supportive of the Palestinians – or more critical of Israel’s actions – than Ireland. But its sympathies, shaped by its own painful history, conflict with other loyalties.

Since the 1950s, each March, the White House has been decked out in the colours of Ireland. Under Bill Clinton it even began hosting the Irish prime minister for St Patrick’s Day. But when Joe Biden, his breast pocket full of shamrocks, welcomed Leo Varadkar in 2024, the taoiseach brought up the heavy subject of the Gaza war. ‘The Irish people are deeply troubled about the catastrophe that’s unfolding before our eyes in Gaza,’ he said. ‘When I travel the world, leaders often ask me why [we] have such empathy for the Palestinian people. The answer is simple: we see our history in their eyes. A story of displacement and dispossession, a national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination, and now, hunger.’ Varadkar was referring to the Great Famine in the mid-19th century when more than 1.5 million Irish died as a result of blighted potato harvests, sparking mass emigration to the US.

Given the pro-Israel position of other European countries since the war began, such an expression of feeling from a centre-right leader might seem unlikely. When Binyamin Netanyahu launched his offensive in October 2023 in response to the Hamas attacks, Ireland was the first to call it disproportionate. When European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Israel and unreservedly championed its right to self-defence, Irish president Michael D Higgins called her ‘reckless’. Varadkar went further, describing the military response as ‘something more approaching revenge’ and denouncing EU ‘double standards’.

As the Palestinian death toll climbed, Ireland, along with Norway and Spain, recognised the Palestinian state (22 May 2024). On 6 January 2025 it aligned itself with South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) charging Israel with genocide. And despite the Knesset’s effective ban on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) on 28 October 2024, Ireland refused to stop funding its work, and even (…)

Full article: 2 322 words.

Clara Menais

Clara Menais is a journalist.

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(2) Larry Elliott, “US risks a downhill dollar disaster”, The Guardian, London, 22 November 2004.

(3) Mark Tran, “Move to euro hits US finances”, The Guardian, 24 January 2005.

(4) Willem F Duisenberg: “The first lustrum of the ECB”, speech at the International Frankfurt Banking Evening, Frankfurt, 16 June 2003, http://www.ecb.int

(5) Cécile Prudhomme, Le Monde, Paris, 10 November 2004.

(6) David E Sanger, New York Times, 25 January 2005.

(7) See Le Monde diplomatique, English language edition, special dossier on China, September 2004.

(8) See Eric Le Boucher, Le Monde, 25 January 2004, and Pierre-Antoine Delhommais, Le Monde, 5 January 2005.

(9) The dollar, which was worth 4.15fr in the first quarter of 1980, had risen to 9.96fr in the first quarter of 1985. It fell to 7.21fr in the first quarter of 1986 and to 6.13fr in the first quarter of 1987. In marks, the respective values of the dollar were 1.77DM, 3.26DM; then 2.35DM and 1.84DM. See Jean-Marcel Jeanneney and Georges Pujals, eds, Les économies de l’Europe occidentale et leur environnement international de 1972 à nos jours, Fayard, Paris, 2005.

(10) Ron Suskind, The Price of Loyalty: George W Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill, Simon and Schuster, New York, 2004.

(11) Paul Krugman, New York Times, 25 January 2005.

(12) Elizabeth Becker, New York Times, 13 January 2003.

(13) Such costs are unpredictable, and dealt with through separate mechanisms not included in the budget.

(14) Ron Suskind, op cit.

(15) Jim Hoagland, “Cheney’s undimmed role”, Washington Post, 10 February 2005.