Member's statement: Israel: Antisemitism and Bias
Member's statement by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on .
- MLA
- Dr Steve Aiken OBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 2 December 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Israel: Antisemitism and Bias
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4686367
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Over the past few days, a belated light has been shone on the genocide and war crimes that are happening across the Middle East, awakening some to the real and growing horror that is occurring there. However, the genocide, famine and war crimes being perpetrated in the Sudan have been going on since April last year, with the Sudanese army faction being supported by Iran, Hezbollah and Russia on one side and the Rapid Support Forces being supported by the UAE, amongst others, on the other. All sides have been documented as conducting murder and rape, using child soldiers and deliberately using starvation as a weapon. The lack of condemnation of those actions by political parties on this island has been in marked contrast to the near-continuous commentary on Israel's actions post the horrific events on 7 October 2023. Last weekend also saw the return of attacks by more of Iran's proxies, the Hutus, on shipping in the Red Sea. The attacks are a direct assault on international trade, our economy, our jobs and our energy prices here. Again, the non-condemnation of Iran and its proxies by many political parties in Ireland is most marked. The fact that the United States Navy, our Royal Navy and the French are keeping the sea lanes open should be supported by all political parties across this island, but, again, it is not. If Israel is not involved, such acts of terrorism are completely ignored. The Syrian civil war has also reignited. The march of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, sweeping away Assad's Syrian army as it heads towards Damascus while Assad, Iran, Hezbollah — what is left of it — and Russia try to stem the uprising, again, garners no commentary. All violence, wherever it is, is wrong, but what is especially galling to those of us who desire peace across the Middle East and Europe is the hypocrisy of political parties that wilfully ignore the most significant wars, in which actual rather than perceived genocide occurs, actual rather than perceived famine is used as a weapon of war and real rather than perceived or propaganda-described ethnic cleansing is happening. Such things seem to matter to them only if they concern Israel. The activities of Iran, its proxies and Russia are ignored. That smacks of political parties being biased towards the acts of the ayatollah and Putin. Their omissions and concentration on Israel show a blatant and demonstrable antisemitism. Many across the Atlantic and in Brussels realise that Ireland has become a cesspit of antisemitism. It is time that all parties recommit to the principles of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. Lest we forget, the Assembly agreed to them on 27 April 2021.
451 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice)
Jev’s structured answers met every documented threshold for a qualifying culture-war activity.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.70 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- Criteria met: Identity framing (0.62); Dog-whistle messaging (0.63).
- The text adopts the identity-based framing in its own voice (0.61).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- All qualifying thresholds were met.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.62 | Yes |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.54 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.07 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.63 | Yes |
| Controversy escalation | 0.51 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.17 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.70 | Above qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.07 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.32 |
| Adopts it (chosen) | 0.61 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.