Ireland’s parliamentary elections, held two weeks ago, are yet to result in the formation of a new government, but there is reason to expect increased official hostility toward the Jewish state, as Herb Keinon writes:
[P]ro-Israel candidates were roundly defeated across the board, while pro-Palestinian candidates enjoyed a good day . . . at the polls. For instance, . . . Alan Shatter, the sole Jewish MP who served from 2011 to 2014 as both justice and defense minister, and who has been the victim of anti-Semitic swipes for his willingness to speak up for Israel, was defeated. . . .
On the other hand, [the newly elected] Gino Kenny . . . celebrated his election victory . . . by waving a Palestinian flag. . . . Another candidate who won, John Halligan, launched his candidacy in January in the presence of the Palestinian Authority’s ambassador, Ahmad Abdelrazek. . . .
[In addition,] the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign asked candidates to commit themselves to working to end bilateral Israel-Irish arms trade, and to suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Of the 551 candidates, 263 gave some level of endorsement to these pledges, and 142 gave their full commitment.
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