More than one in five Irish people would bar Israelis from becoming naturalized Irish citizens, according to new research into ethnic and religious attitudes in Ireland. The book-length study, “Pluralism and Diversity in Ireland,” found that 22.2% of Irish people would exclude Israelis from Irish citizenship, while 11.5% would deny it to all Jews.
One of the parties expected to form part of Ireland\’s next governing coalition is looking to Israel for economic inspiration. The left-leaning Labor party, which is second in the polls and expected to be the junior partner in Ireland\’s government following the Feb. 25 general election, has said Ireland should follow Israel\’s example of technology-led growth and development to help regain the competitiveness it has lost since the dot-com bubble burst a decade ago.
Ireland became the first European Union member to upgrade its Palestinian diplomatic mission to an embassy. The head of the Palestinian mission will become an ambassador in Dublin and will present his credentials to the Irish president, according to Ynet. The upgrade reportedly does not mean that Ireland has recognized a Palestinian state.
Ireland has asked Israel to allow an Irish-owned ship to break the blockade of Gaza.\n
There is a saying that in Ireland there are no strangers, only friends you haven\’t met yet.
On our visit we experienced a tangible expression of this in Kenmare, where perfect strangers went out of their way to help us get our laundry done and then volunteered to drive us back to our hotel when we couldn\’t find a taxi.
There was one big question left unanswered when Tony Blair spoke last Monday evening at the opening of American Jewish University\’s (AJU) 2007 lecture series.
Once you\’ve seen and heard \’Fiddler on the Roof\’ in Japanese, what\’s left but klezmer from Ireland?
A trip to the Emerald Isle, where folks go around kissing the Blarney Stone, has always been on our traveling wish list.
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