Jews in Ireland reported more than 100 antisemitic incidents through a communal reporting system within six months of its launch, according to a new report — the first of its kind to document antisemitic incidents in Ireland.
The findings, published by the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI), revealed that Irish Jews — a small community of about 2,200 — reported 143 incidents between July 2025 and January 2026. These were dominated by verbal abuse, vandalism, threats, exclusion or discrimination, and direct digital hate messages. Physical assault was less common, with only three instances reported.
A Community Documenting Itself
All incidents were self-reported to the JRCI, which cannot independently investigate or adjudicate them. Ireland does not have an official state mechanism for recording antisemitic incidents. While Irish police record hate crimes based on nationality, ethnicity, or religion, they do not isolate crimes motivated specifically by antisemitism.
Notably, 30% of incidents were triggered by visible cues of Jewish identity — a Jewish symbol, an accent, or speaking Hebrew in public. JRCI Chairperson Maurice Cohen said these dynamics go beyond general racism:
“Antisemitism presents distinct characteristics requiring targeted policy responses. These cannot be adequately addressed through generalised anti-racism frameworks alone.”
Cohen called for “a dedicated, standalone national plan to combat antisemitism in Ireland.”
Holocaust Distortion Is Part of the Picture
Of the 143 reported incidents, 25 included Holocaust distortion or antisemitic conspiracy theories — a deeply troubling finding that aligns with broader survey data.
A Claims Conference survey from January 2026 found that:
- 9% of Irish adults believed the Holocaust was a myth
- 17% believed the number of Jews killed had been greatly exaggerated
- 50% did not know that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust
A separate November 2025 European Commission survey found that 41% of Irish respondents said antisemitism was a problem in their country, and 47% said it had increased over the past five years.
Political Context
Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged the situation at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in January, saying: “I am acutely conscious that our Jewish community here in Ireland is experiencing a growing level of antisemitism. I know that elements of our public discourse have coarsened.”
Martin has also been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, stating at the United Nations that Israel committed “genocide.” Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state in 2024 and has historically supported the Palestinian cause, a stance often linked to the country’s own history of British imperial rule.
Late last year, a proposal to rename Herzog Park in Dublin — named for Chaim Herzog, son of the first Irish chief rabbi and Israel’s sixth president — was decried by Irish Jews as an erasure of Irish Jewish history. The proposal was later tabled. Martin also condemned the proposal, saying the Jewish community “has every right to be deeply concerned and to express that concern.”
Voices From the Community
Gideon Taylor, president of the World Jewish Restitution Organization and an Irish Jew who grew up in Dublin, was clear about what these incidents represent:
“When you have discontinuation of service because somebody is heard speaking Hebrew, or has a Jewish-identifying symbol on them, that’s not about a political position on the spectrum towards Israel. That’s something that crosses into antisemitism.”
Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder offered a measured but sobering assessment:
“The report does not claim that antisemitism has become a daily reality for all Jewish people in Ireland — it has not. What it does show is that antisemitism surfaces often enough, and in ordinary enough settings, that it cannot be dismissed as rare or confined to the margins of society. This means that for many, Jewish belonging in Ireland feels more fragile than it should.”