Ireland’s relationship with Jewish people — are we crossing the line?
Micheál Martin has been visiting southern Israel
ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS
Micheál Martin, the tanaiste, sat and listened when he was confronted by Alon Davidi, the mayor of Sderot, at a meeting with his diplomatic team in a tightly packed room at the city’s town hall in southern Israel last Thursday.
Davidi, who has been mayor of the city since 2013, criticised Ireland’s calls for a ceasefire and told Martin he was “begging” Ireland to support Israel in its war against Hamas. He explained that his seven children, aged between 12 and 25, did not know a normal life and regularly experienced the threat of bombings.
The meeting was held less than 24 hours after a motion by the Social Democrats to expel Dana Erlich, the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, was defeated in the Dail
