For Morris Cohen, president of the Jewish Community of Ireland, the past few months have brought a rising sense of unease. A proposed law to criminalize the import of goods from the West Bank has reawakened long-held fears—not only about Israel’s image in Ireland but about what it means to be Jewish there at all.
Ireland pushes bill to criminalize imports from Israeli settlements
(Video: Lior Sharon)
'Ireland at the moment is a toxic place when it comes to Israel'
The legislation had been on ice for a while, sidelined by legal hurdles. But recently, it returned to the parliamentary agenda with renewed force. When it came up for debate, Cohen sat in the gallery beside the chief rabbi, a former government minister and a visiting British legal expert. Despite the high-profile presence, the atmosphere was chilling. “There was unanimity between them, and out of them all, there was nobody that was willing to listen to an alternative narrative.”
The isolation he felt in that room mirrored something deeper—an unwillingness across Irish public life to tolerate voices that don’t conform to the dominant narrative about Israel. “Neither in the media nor in our Parliament do we hear an Israeli narrative. And while there are certainly people who would like to vocalize it, the climate in Ireland is such that they don't want to be canceled.”
He sees the bill not as an isolated legal gesture, but as part of a broader strategic play—one whose endgame is not limited to the West Bank. “The instigators of the bill have actually said that once this goes through, their aim is to try and get all European countries to follow… and then I have no doubt that their intention would be to go and spread this from Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem to the whole of Israel.”
Support from abroad has offered some relief. The American administration’s opposition to the bill, both on moral and legal grounds, was a welcome sign. “It’s very encouraging that Washington and the U.S. are taking this stance—not just because Israel is an ally, but legally there are 36 states in the U.S. that would have huge problems in dealing with any country… boycotting Israel.”
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St. Patrick's Day turns to a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Ireland
(Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Still, he suspects the Irish government is eager to press ahead. Despite the bill’s long legislative route—five stages in each house—he worries about how fast it might move. “There seems to be a rush to get this through in the next few months.”
Events since October 7 have only deepened the tension. Antisemitic incidents have surged. Some are overt; others more insidious. “There have been many incidents since October 7 where Jews have been isolated… a young student was attacked in a nightclub just for being Jewish.”
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For many in the community, the shift has become deeply personal. “A friend of mine from childhood said to me only two days ago: he always thought of himself as an Irishman who happened to be Jewish. And today he thinks of himself as a Jew who happens to live in Ireland.”
Cohen still speaks with hope. His family has been in Ireland for over a century—his wife’s even longer—and he’s not ready to write off the future. “There are more Israeli Jews in Ireland who have come in the last 20 years than there are people who have been here for generations.”
But when asked what he expects from Israel, his tone turns blunt. He’s frustrated with the way Israel tries to explain itself to the world. “The one word I do know is Hasbarah, and I think it needs to be expunged from the Hebrew language. Because once one has to try and explain one's situation, you're in trouble.”
He believes Israel is losing the PR war by playing by the wrong rules. “People now think in sound bites and pictures… and we’re giving lengthy explanations which nobody has the time to read or listen to or look at. We're not matching the PR of our opponents.”
Some of the damage, he adds, is self-inflicted. “People from the far right have not enhanced the world view of Israel… If they care about what the world thinks of them, they need to be more cautious in their statements.”
As for Ireland’s political future, he isn’t holding his breath. “A change in the government will not turn things around. This is, unbelievably, a moderate government… but then 4 and a half years is a long time in politics.”