Soc Dems ‘strongly reject’ claim by Israeli Ambassador that deselected candidate faced ‘discrimination’ because of nationality

The Israeli Ambassador has backed a deselected Social Democrats Israeli local election candidate.

Orli Degani, who is a German Jew with Israeli citizenship, was dropped by the party as a local election candidate in Dún Laoghaire.

In a statement, she said she is seeking legal advice and alleged she was deselected after she raised concerns of the local Jewish community with the party.

Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, has now said Ms Degani “appears” to have been “discriminated against”.

​“It is concerning that Orli Degani, who chose to try to be a positive force in her community on local issues, appears to have been discriminated against because of her nationality,” she said in a statement to the Irish Independent.

“Unfortunately she is one of a growing number in the Jewish and Israeli community here who increasingly feel targeted by an atmosphere of anti-Israel sentiment.

“Criticism of Israeli policy is legitimate and democratic but attempts to delegitimise all Israeli people is not,” Ms Erlich said.

The Social Democrats pushed back against the Ambassador’s comments.

A party spokesperson said the party tried several times to “resolve” issues with Ms Degani.

They said she was deselected after a “lengthy and fair” process.

“We strongly reject the accusation that the Israeli Ambassador has made. It’s notable that the Ambassador made no attempt to contact the party before making it,” the spokesperson said.

“The party attempted, on a number of occasions, to resolve issues with Ms Degani. Those efforts were not successful. Ms Degani was deselected as a candidate following a lengthy and fair process. She chose not to appeal that decision.”

Earlier this week, Ms Degani said she “raised a concern” that local Jewish people were feeling “more and more unwelcome and unsafe in Ireland and in Dún Laoghaire”.

“I was, and still am, concerned about people feeling like they need to hide their identity when they are walking around town, children feeling unsafe and bullied in local schools and universities, and about people online and offline using rhetoric that might eventually lead to violence,” she said in a statement.

She said she wanted to “constructively engage” within the party and “raise these concerns”.

“I could not have expected what came next,” she said.

However, Ms Degani did not elaborate, saying she will issue further comment once she takes legal advice.

She is still running as an Independent local election candidate.

“It saddens me greatly that taking a stand about local people’s right to be included and welcomed in our community has spiralled to me being deselected by the Social Democrats,” she said.

Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter said on X that the Social Democrats are “anxious” to be like other Irish political parties.

“Going with the current zeitgeist more National Socialist than Social Democrat! Maybe considering a name change?” he wrote.

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