Unpublished letter to the Irish Times October 2026

Sir,

Fintan O’Toole describes “Zionism is a form of racism” as a “stupid slogan” and warns us that

“Jewish people worldwide are having a terrible time” (Zionism is not racism, any more than Irish nationalism is sectarianism, 20 October).

Last June the second ever Jewish Anti-Zionist International Congress was held in the

Maldron Hotel, Dublin, over three days. Delegates included Israeli and other Jewish

figures such as Ilan Pappé, Andrew Feinstein, Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, Ronnie

Barkan, Wieland Hoban and (from Ireland) Sue Pentel. I attended, and can testify that

all of these speakers concurred that “Zionism is a form of racism”

A press conference regarding this major event was held in Buswells Hotel, Dublin,

the day before it began. Not a single journalist turned up. Not a single journalist

showed up to the spectacularly well-attended conference itself – not even Fintan

O’Toole. Quite simply: there was no mention of it whatsoever in the mainstream

media.

It appears that our concern for Jewish sensitivities must be restricted to those

supportive of Zionism. Might it not seem that, whatever one’s view of that ideology,

such an exclusionary stance borders on anti-Semitism?

Yours etc.

Raymond Deane