About a massacre, about Ireland and Israel, about the IRA and the Nazis, and why my family ended up in Canada. Weekend Special. Put your feet up. Long story.
Terrific piece of writing but then that's not new for you; and what I always especially appreciate - great example in this article - is the obvious great amount of research research you do before you post, unlike so many others who write on social media ; thank you once again
Amazing family story, Terry. And I had no idea about all the Herzogs - I mean, I knew about them individually, but I didn't know all these amazingly accomplished people were one generation from the same forebear. Remarkable. But I did know that antisemitism and hatred of Israel are rife in Ireland. I read Tuvia Tenenbom's latest book on antisemitism in the UK, where he says, amongst much else on the subject, "I don't think I ever have met people who have so much hatred for the Jews as I met in Northern Ireland and Ireland and that includes Derry... There are anti-Semites in Germany, there are anti-semites all over the world. This kind of hatred that I found - and Derry is a small place. I have never seen so much."
The Herzogs: More accomplished in Israel than the Kennedys in America, better people too and Varadkar's Ireland wants nothing to do with them. Imagine being able to say 'The president of Israel is an Irishman' and just walking away from that.
The North: Very, very odd. I was in Derry for the 50th anniversary of the kickoff of the Troubles and while so much has changed. so much remains the same. The Israel/Palestine division is especially bizarre up there, more so in Belfast. Sinn Fein had a fraternal relationship with the PLO and of course the Provos were getting their guns from Libya, but the Loyalists imagine themselves to be surrounded on all sides, a chosen people - that's a common theme in Protestant apologetics - so they fly Israeli flags, and in the Short Strand and West Belfast they fly the Palestinian flags, and before you know it entire neighbourhoods are covered in one or the other flag.
I should have noted at the end. . . the bit about the Starvation Orders. They were formally denounced and an apology issued by the Dail a while back. Dad never lived to see it. But still, it was a fine gesture, and credit to the AG, Alan Shatter. Jewish fella.
Very interesting read Mr. Glavin. And it provides valuable context to your nuanced views on many issues involving the Middle East, Ireland and, hell, why it’s not cool to be a Jew-hating a**hole.
Gosh. I had no idea about all of this. I do know my 4th great grandfather came from Ireland in 1780 but haven't really explored too much on that side as to why he left everything behind to come to Schodack NY. But I am glad he did. Thank you for telling us this part of history. Specifically your family history. I literally had no idea.
Although ten years your senior, Terry, your family and mine emigrated from the UK to Canada in the same year! But that irrelevance aside ... I very much appreciate your writings - and in particular your support of Israel, sadly an apparently increasing rarity in the (Trudeau funded) Canadian MSM press these days.
One person I might have added to your posted panoply of Irish pro-Palestinian/Hamas participants would be the former Irish President, Mary Robinson (1990-97). During her subsequent tenure as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson presided over the debacle known as the 2001 World Conference against Racism (aka Durban 1), during the proceedings of which the scurrilous "Zionism is racism" motion reared its ugly head.
Robinson was also a good buddy of Desmond Tutu - no friend of Israel nor of Jews, to the best of my recollection - and succeeded him as Chair of a (self-)select(ed) group known as "The Elders".
Wonderful. The rich web of connections between the Glavins and the Jewish people warms my heart and, needless to say, your allyship is gratefully acknowledged at this difficult hour.
Thanks for this article, and the background on your family for added context. It explains a lot of something I had no more than passing knowledge of.
My great-grandfather came from County Cork, but not a lot is talked about what motivated him to leave. Best I can figure is he was a Prod, left for the Dominion of Canada before the Easter Uprising, and served in both world wars in His Majesty’s Canadian Army. I’m guessing he sensed things were going to take an ugly turn at home and left while he could.
It’s sad to hear about the rampant antisemitism there. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there and thought it had turned the corner from the ugliness of the 20th century that plagued that land.
There is a documentary which interviews former leaders of Isreal’s shin bet which confirms a few war crimes israel was involved with. This may be what some Irish critics are describing as genocide. How they define that term appears much more broad than how it is normally used. And any violence provoked by such shameful rhetoric is doubly shameful.
As for banks, media and so on. “Control” is a stretch. There are a disproportionate number of jewish individuals involved because of their high competence. Nothing is wrong with that. People are free not to deposit their money or watch their films. The reason people continue to do so is because they find value in the contributions of the jewish community. There does seem to be a contingent in movements of every kind, both good and ill. So for the Bolshevik revolution, we can avoid collective guilt while not hiding from the biographies of some of those involved. The leap to collective guilt is the evil there. All people have fallen short of the glory of god. Both jews and gentiles.
Now, Every group has kinship from shared experienced. This is natural and part of healthy bonding. One should attempt to allow for this, recognizing that it can welcome outsiders without veering into blood and soil per se. But if blood and soil are the most evil concepts ever-then no land can be owned at all (and this would apply to israel, ireland, Gaza and indigenous territories equally-which seems ridiculous.) It also seems to presume a lack of property rights. The basis that any land can be deemed as stolen presupposes it can be owned in the first place.
If the Irish wish to maintain a shared kinship and homogenization is forced on them they should be free to oppose it l--just as others should be free to advocate for it. There is no other way to bring people along with change than with dialogue. No other way to have every viewpoint be assessed. To shame and isolate the most fearful of course will generate backlash. Which would be wiser to avoid. If one is sheltered and afraid of outsiders it seems unhelpful to immediately label them a populist nazi intent on genocide. As doing so can inadvertently push them into the welcoming arms of those very people. And i hope we can agree that our words and actions should be designed to avoid enlarging that group.
Some years ago, I discovered my paternal grandmother was actually born in Ireland while her father worked temporarily in Waterford as a gem setter. She was raised in Britain by her British parents. I found out that because I was the granddaughter of Annie ish citizen, I could, with appropriate documentation and process, become an Irish citizen. I did so. I have a meagre understanding of Irish history and sensibilities. Thank you for showing me the not so underside of Irish history. And for standing strong with your Jewish friends. It appears to be bred in the bone.
Thankyou Terry for another in-depth article on current events. I always appreciate the well researched backstory you include as I am one who subscribes to the maxim “ those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
One of my best decisions was to get your substack. Worth every penny.
You cannot March into the future without benefit of knowledge of the past.
Thanks John!
Terrific piece of writing but then that's not new for you; and what I always especially appreciate - great example in this article - is the obvious great amount of research research you do before you post, unlike so many others who write on social media ; thank you once again
Amazing family story, Terry. And I had no idea about all the Herzogs - I mean, I knew about them individually, but I didn't know all these amazingly accomplished people were one generation from the same forebear. Remarkable. But I did know that antisemitism and hatred of Israel are rife in Ireland. I read Tuvia Tenenbom's latest book on antisemitism in the UK, where he says, amongst much else on the subject, "I don't think I ever have met people who have so much hatred for the Jews as I met in Northern Ireland and Ireland and that includes Derry... There are anti-Semites in Germany, there are anti-semites all over the world. This kind of hatred that I found - and Derry is a small place. I have never seen so much."
Thanks so much Barbara.
The Herzogs: More accomplished in Israel than the Kennedys in America, better people too and Varadkar's Ireland wants nothing to do with them. Imagine being able to say 'The president of Israel is an Irishman' and just walking away from that.
The North: Very, very odd. I was in Derry for the 50th anniversary of the kickoff of the Troubles and while so much has changed. so much remains the same. The Israel/Palestine division is especially bizarre up there, more so in Belfast. Sinn Fein had a fraternal relationship with the PLO and of course the Provos were getting their guns from Libya, but the Loyalists imagine themselves to be surrounded on all sides, a chosen people - that's a common theme in Protestant apologetics - so they fly Israeli flags, and in the Short Strand and West Belfast they fly the Palestinian flags, and before you know it entire neighbourhoods are covered in one or the other flag.
I should have noted at the end. . . the bit about the Starvation Orders. They were formally denounced and an apology issued by the Dail a while back. Dad never lived to see it. But still, it was a fine gesture, and credit to the AG, Alan Shatter. Jewish fella.
I think you need to write a book on all this...it's fascinating, but a bit confusing to someone "from away," so to speak.
More accomplished while temporarily in Canada too. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/herzog-toynbee-1961
Very interesting read Mr. Glavin. And it provides valuable context to your nuanced views on many issues involving the Middle East, Ireland and, hell, why it’s not cool to be a Jew-hating a**hole.
Welcomed....history a la carte. My thanks for the unblemished slice of it.
Gosh. I had no idea about all of this. I do know my 4th great grandfather came from Ireland in 1780 but haven't really explored too much on that side as to why he left everything behind to come to Schodack NY. But I am glad he did. Thank you for telling us this part of history. Specifically your family history. I literally had no idea.
Yet another reason that Israel is necessary.
Great writing and story.
Although ten years your senior, Terry, your family and mine emigrated from the UK to Canada in the same year! But that irrelevance aside ... I very much appreciate your writings - and in particular your support of Israel, sadly an apparently increasing rarity in the (Trudeau funded) Canadian MSM press these days.
One person I might have added to your posted panoply of Irish pro-Palestinian/Hamas participants would be the former Irish President, Mary Robinson (1990-97). During her subsequent tenure as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson presided over the debacle known as the 2001 World Conference against Racism (aka Durban 1), during the proceedings of which the scurrilous "Zionism is racism" motion reared its ugly head.
Robinson was also a good buddy of Desmond Tutu - no friend of Israel nor of Jews, to the best of my recollection - and succeeded him as Chair of a (self-)select(ed) group known as "The Elders".
Wonderful. The rich web of connections between the Glavins and the Jewish people warms my heart and, needless to say, your allyship is gratefully acknowledged at this difficult hour.
Thanks for this article, and the background on your family for added context. It explains a lot of something I had no more than passing knowledge of.
My great-grandfather came from County Cork, but not a lot is talked about what motivated him to leave. Best I can figure is he was a Prod, left for the Dominion of Canada before the Easter Uprising, and served in both world wars in His Majesty’s Canadian Army. I’m guessing he sensed things were going to take an ugly turn at home and left while he could.
It’s sad to hear about the rampant antisemitism there. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there and thought it had turned the corner from the ugliness of the 20th century that plagued that land.
Sláinte.
Once again......requires more than one read. "Spontaneous bedlam" , will pop up more than once in the next Federal Election here in Canada.
There is a documentary which interviews former leaders of Isreal’s shin bet which confirms a few war crimes israel was involved with. This may be what some Irish critics are describing as genocide. How they define that term appears much more broad than how it is normally used. And any violence provoked by such shameful rhetoric is doubly shameful.
As for banks, media and so on. “Control” is a stretch. There are a disproportionate number of jewish individuals involved because of their high competence. Nothing is wrong with that. People are free not to deposit their money or watch their films. The reason people continue to do so is because they find value in the contributions of the jewish community. There does seem to be a contingent in movements of every kind, both good and ill. So for the Bolshevik revolution, we can avoid collective guilt while not hiding from the biographies of some of those involved. The leap to collective guilt is the evil there. All people have fallen short of the glory of god. Both jews and gentiles.
Now, Every group has kinship from shared experienced. This is natural and part of healthy bonding. One should attempt to allow for this, recognizing that it can welcome outsiders without veering into blood and soil per se. But if blood and soil are the most evil concepts ever-then no land can be owned at all (and this would apply to israel, ireland, Gaza and indigenous territories equally-which seems ridiculous.) It also seems to presume a lack of property rights. The basis that any land can be deemed as stolen presupposes it can be owned in the first place.
If the Irish wish to maintain a shared kinship and homogenization is forced on them they should be free to oppose it l--just as others should be free to advocate for it. There is no other way to bring people along with change than with dialogue. No other way to have every viewpoint be assessed. To shame and isolate the most fearful of course will generate backlash. Which would be wiser to avoid. If one is sheltered and afraid of outsiders it seems unhelpful to immediately label them a populist nazi intent on genocide. As doing so can inadvertently push them into the welcoming arms of those very people. And i hope we can agree that our words and actions should be designed to avoid enlarging that group.
What an outstanding read. Thanks Terry.
Some years ago, I discovered my paternal grandmother was actually born in Ireland while her father worked temporarily in Waterford as a gem setter. She was raised in Britain by her British parents. I found out that because I was the granddaughter of Annie ish citizen, I could, with appropriate documentation and process, become an Irish citizen. I did so. I have a meagre understanding of Irish history and sensibilities. Thank you for showing me the not so underside of Irish history. And for standing strong with your Jewish friends. It appears to be bred in the bone.
Thankyou Terry for another in-depth article on current events. I always appreciate the well researched backstory you include as I am one who subscribes to the maxim “ those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.