People who oppose the current Israeli Government are not necessarily antisemitic, a former Israeli Prime Minister has told Newstalk.
Ehud Olmert served as Prime Minister of the State of Israel between 2006 and 2009.
Although originally a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, in recent years he has increasingly aligned himself with the country’s liberal left.
Notably in May, he made international headlines when he said that he believed the Israeli Defence Forces are committing war crimes in Gaza and that “thousands of innocent Palestinians are being killed, as well as many Israeli soldiers”.
On Newstalk Breakfast, he criticised Netanyahu’s Government as a “strange” group of people.
“It’s made up of a group of messianic, fundamentalist extremists in favour of deporting the Gazans from where they live, in favour of deporting the West Bankers from where they live and incorporating all these territories into the State of Israel,” he said.
“The Government of Israel is very much captive of these messianic groups.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv. Picture by: Alamy.com.Since the war broke out, key figures in the Israeli Government have accused Irish politicians of antisemitism.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism notes that "criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic".
However, it does define "drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" as antisemitic.
In December, Simon Harris was labelled an antisemite by the Israeli Foreign Minister, who cited Ireland’s support for proceedings against Jerusalem at the International Criminal Court.
It is not a line of argument that Mr Olmert agrees with.
“This false patriotism is always the refuge of the villains,” he explained.
“I’m afraid that today, you don’t need to be antisemitic to be against the current Israeli Government.
“There certainly are antisemites; we have been subject to their hatred and prejudice throughout our history.
“But these days, not everyone who is criticising the Israeli Government is coming from that ugly area.”
He added that he too opposes the policies of the Israeli Government, “And I don’t think that I’m an antisemite.”
Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated with the hostages families against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, demanding an immidiate hostage deal and General Election. Picture by: Sipa USA / Alamy Stock PhotoIsraeli media are reporting that Netanyahu’s Cabinet have discussed the logistics of reoccupying Gaza - a proposal understood to have encountered opposition from the army chief and other military leaders.
It is a prospect that Mr Olmert believes most Israeli citizens would also oppose.
“I don’t know at this point today what is the exact balance,” he said.
“The majority of Israelis are against continuing the war and getting back the hostages.
“They don’t believe that an extended military operation will help save the hostages which are still alive - the opposite, we may lose them.
“So, I think the general attitude of most Israelis is we need to end the war immediately and this is in opposition to the voice that’s coming from Government.”
Northern Gaza. Picture by: Gaby Schuetze/ZUMA Press Wire.For those holding out hope that the war will come to an end soon, Mr Olmert said there is only one person with the power to do so.
“If President Trump will order Netanyahu - as he is accustomed to do, by the way, he did it in the past on several occasions - he will say to Netanyahu, ‘Enough is enough’ - it will be enough,” he said.
However, Mr Olmert added that Mr Trump remains the “most unpredictable person on earth”.
The US President has previously given strong backing to Israel’s actions in Gaza, expressing shock that released hostages look “like Holocaust survivors”.
He has, however, since acknowledged there is “real starvation” in Gaza.
Main image: Ehud Olmert. Picture by: Francois Loock/Alamy Live News
