Protests Erupt Over Gaza Comments During Irish President’s Holocaust Memorial Speech; Israeli Woman Ejected

Protests Erupt Over Gaza Comments During Irish President’s Holocaust Memorial Speech; Israeli Woman Ejected

Edited by: Fern Sidman

An Israeli woman residing in Ireland was forcibly removed from a Holocaust Memorial Day event in Dublin on Sunday, and several protesters staged a walkout during President Michael D. Higgins’s keynote address. According to a report in The Irish Times, the controversy arose after President Higgins referenced the ongoing conflict in Gaza during his speech at Dublin’s Mansion House, which marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. The incident highlighted the tension surrounding discussions of contemporary conflicts at Holocaust remembrance events.

Disgusting: The President of Ireland gave a speech at the 80th Auschwitz Commemoration and of course had to mention Gaza.
The security then kicked out Jews in the crowd who, rightfully, called this out. We live in a complete dystopia. @IrelandinNY #Auschwitz80… pic.twitter.com/LcDmzkNNO1

— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) January 26, 2025

Before delivering his speech, President Higgins met with two of Ireland’s remaining Holocaust survivors, Tomi Reichental and Suzi Diamond, and posed for photographs with them alongside relatives of those who perished in Nazi concentration camps. In his address, the President expressed gratitude for the presence of Mr. Reichental and Ms. Diamond, emphasizing the importance of Holocaust remembrance in the modern era. According to the information in The Irish Times report, Higgins stated, “We live in times when it seems acceptable by some to employ hatred of the ‘other’ as a rhetorical tool, to use hate speech openly, be it in public or online, thus fanning the flames of intolerance and bigotry, promoting difference as a source of fear.”

Ireland this weekend.

A pregnant Jewish woman objects to the Irish President politically hijacking a Holocaust Memorial, is pulled to the floor and dragged out the room.

Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestine flags paraded through Dublin by people dressed at jihadis? No problem. pic.twitter.com/8IHPbIZ1hH

— Joo🎗️ (@JoosyJew) January 26, 2025

However, the President’s comments about Gaza sparked protests during the event. Higgins acknowledged the grief of Israeli families bereaved by the October 7th Hamas attacks, as well as the suffering of those impacted by the devastation in Gaza. “I hope that the Israeli families of those who had been bereaved as a result of the October 7th events, and those waiting for the release of hostages and those who were killed in ‘the rubble of Gaza,’ would welcome the long-overdue ceasefire,” he said.  The Irish Times report indicated that these remarks led several attendees to walk out, while others turned their backs on the President in silent protest.

You can’t make this up: The antisemitic president of Ireland 🇮🇪 gave an antisemitic speech condemning Israel 🇮🇱 during the International Holocaust Day, and when Jews in the audience protested, they were kicked out 👇
pic.twitter.com/hIeDGiMBsw

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) January 26, 2025

Among the protesters was Lior Tibet, an Israeli PhD student at University College Dublin (UCD) who teaches Holocaust studies as part of courses on Nazi Germany and modern European history. Ms. Tibet, who has lived in Ireland for seven years, told The Irish Times that she turned her back on the President after he mentioned Gaza. “The beginning of the speech was lovely. That’s why we didn’t get up at that point. We are all great supporters of human rights. We have problems with what Israel is doing,” she said. Ms. Tibet explained that she and four others stood up and turned their backs as a form of protest. Security personnel then asked her to leave, which led to her ejection from the event.

Jews being dragged out of a Holocaust Memorial Day event because they objected to the antisemitic Irish president giving an antisemitic speech pic.twitter.com/E81EUPX0k9

— Galut Greg🎗️ גלות 流亡 (@ExiledIsraelite) January 26, 2025

Ms. Tibet also told The Irish Times that, “We feel like we are talking to the walls when we talk about anti-Semitism. It is really disheartening to us to see no one gives us a voice.” She emphasized her family’s connection to Ireland but expressed that the past 15 months had been “unbearable” due to a perceived lack of support in combating anti-Semitism.

Ms. Tibet expressed her frustration to The Irish Times, saying, “I asked [the security personnel]: ‘How can you take a Jewish person out of this commemoration event? I didn’t do anything wrong.’ This was the only way I could protest about it.” She emphasized that her actions were not premeditated and were a reaction to the President’s inclusion of Gaza in his remarks.

The event also faced criticism from members of the Jewish community who had previously urged President Higgins not to deliver the keynote address. According to the information contained in The Irish Times report, their concerns stemmed from his past critical comments about Israeli actions in Gaza. However, Higgins maintained that he has consistently stood against anti-Semitism and used his speech to denounce hate speech and intolerance in all forms.

Among the attendees was Maya, another Israeli woman who shared her deeply personal connection to the conflict. The report in The Irish Times said that Maya, who requested that her last name not be used, revealed that three members of her family were murdered and five others kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7th attacks. One family member remains in Gaza. Maya expressed her disappointment in Higgins’ decision to speak at the event, stating, “We asked him very nicely not to speak at this ceremony. My grandfather was in the Holocaust, and all his family was murdered. I know first-hand what it is to have family in Gaza kidnapped and what it is to live this war. He should not be speaking.”

Despite the protests, the event saw significant attendance, with approximately 500 people present. According to The Irish Times, most attendees stayed for the duration of the ceremony. Newly appointed Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe read the Stockholm Declaration on Holocaust remembrance, reaffirming Ireland’s commitment to combatting anti-Semitism and honoring the memory of Holocaust victims. Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Emma Blain, and Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik were also in attendance.

The event highlighted broader tensions in Ireland, where public discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has intensified. Pro-Palestinian protests, including the waving of Hamas flags, have drawn criticism from Israeli residents who feel increasingly marginalized. As Maya told The Irish Times, “It is really painful for us to see this happening. We came to remember the Holocaust, and instead, we feel silenced.”