When Irish Eyes Refuse to Look Away...

Catherine Connolly, who was elected President of Ireland last month with about 64 percent of the vote, is, like former President Michael D. Higgins, a strong voice against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. However, the “Israel Lobby” in the United Kingdom wasted no time in taking action to ensure that Ireland would be punished by the United States for its policies toward Israel.Immediately after Connolly’s election, the London-based, pro-Israel so-called think tank “Policy Exchange” published a report putting Ireland within the firing range of the United States. In the report, published under the title “Ireland’s Diplomatic Challenges and Lessons for the United Kingdom,” “Policy Exchange” — also labeled as an influential hub of English Neocons — warns that England will face tensions with the U.S. just like Ireland if it recognizes a “State of Palestine.” According to the report, if England does not fully align itself with Trump’s foreign policy, it will face the same treatment as Ireland and enter a dangerous period.

The report argues that the United Kingdom must remain aligned with Washington not only on Israel, but also on China and global security commitments. According to the report, Ireland has lost America’s trust, and the next country could be the UK. In other words, “Policy Exchange” is issuing a veiled threat to the Labour government. The report states that if the UK strays from Washington’s priorities, it will face diplomatic isolation.

The report says Ireland’s long-running hostility toward Israel has reached a peak with a new law boycotting imports from the occupied West Bank, adding that “this situation has sparked widespread debate among the Trump administration and its allies in Congress.” As this threatening language shows, British Neocons, like American Neocons, believe that “America First” should be understood as “Israel First.” It is noteworthy that Ireland’s ban on importing products made by illegal Zionist settlers in the West Bank is characterized as contrary to U.S. interests.

The foreword to the report was written by Robert C. O’Brien, who served as National Security Adviser during Trump’s first presidential term. O’Brien, who is currently a member of the Presidential Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAP), targeted Ireland’s pro-Palestinian policies, saying, “Friday’s presidential election, won by an extreme left, anti-American candidate, could be a turning point.” O’Brien says Ireland’s path back from a pro-Palestinian policy is not completely closed and that Ireland, while there is still time, can return to the U.S. orbit.

O’Brien stated that Ireland has been at the forefront of genocide accusations against Israel and is “historically among the most hostile countries in the Western world toward Israel.” Meanwhile, O’Brien also carried the report’s arguments into American media with an article published on November 6 in The Wall Street Journal. In his article titled “When Irish Eyes Are Ablaze,” O’Brien wrote that President Trump will not tolerate countries that benefit from America’s economic strength and military protection while pursuing foreign policies that harm American interests, adding, “Ireland is one of those countries.”

The title of O’Brien’s article is a reversal of the popular Irish folk song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” Because “Irish eyes ablaze” implies, in contrast to smiling, a hostile, angry look. Composed in 1912, the song is sung almost like an unofficial national anthem in countries with large Irish immigrant populations, especially the United States. The song has been used in dozens of American films, including “Titanic.”

The Irish are being targeted for punishment because they refused to remain silent in the face of Palestinians being subjected to genocide by Israel in their own homeland and instead showed a moral response. But by electing Catherine Connolly as President with a large majority, the Irish signaled that their pro-Palestinian stance will continue. As the song says, when Irish eyes are smiling, like the fresh air of spring, everything is reborn. Without a doubt, when Palestinian eyes are smiling, the Irish will also have a share in that smile. That rightful pride will be enough for them. Only the enemies of humanity will be unhappy at the sight of Palestinian eyes smiling.