‘Did the Irish fall into a VAT of Guinness?’ — US Israel ambassador’s tweet slammed by Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has rejected comments by the US ambassador to Israel, who asked whether Ireland had fallen into a ‘vat of Guinness’ over the Occupied Territories Bill.

Mike Huckabee made the derogatory remarks this week, accusing Ireland of ‘diplomatic intoxication’ and calling on the nation to ‘sober up’. But his comments have drawn the ire of both the Taoiseach and prominent Irish politicians, who labelled it ‘xenophobic’ and ‘anti-Irish’.

In his full remark on social media, Mr Huckabee wrote about the Occupied Territories Bill: ‘Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness & propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication? It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up, Ireland! Call @IsraelMFA & say you’re sorry!’

Mr Huckabee tweeted an article from the Jerusalem Post, which highlighted the Foreign Affairs Oireachtas Committee hearing earlier this week, which addressed the passage of the Bill.

His remarks came as a series of high-profile American politicians also ramped up warnings to Ireland about its pro-Palestinian position, saying that it may be a danger to the Irish economy. There is now growing concern within the Irish Government that Ireland may be targeted by the US administration for its overtly pro-Palestinian stance.

In the last week, articles have appeared in US publications, such as The Hill and The Wall Street Journal, criticising the Irish legislation. A number of senior US politicians have now publicly attacked Ireland for its position.

However, Micheál Martin criticised the tweet by Mr Huckabee, remarking: ‘I reject the comments made by the ambassador.’ He added: ‘The situation is very serious in Gaza, including an appalling loss of human life.

‘Terrible war crimes are being committed. Ireland has consistently condemned Hama,s and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass. Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward.’

Extra.ie contacted both spokespeople for the Taoiseach, asking Mr Martin to comment on the anti-Irish nature of Mr Huckabee’s comments, but did not receive a further reply.

Sinn Féin’s foreign affairs spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said Mr Huckabee’s comments were ‘absurd, plainly xenophobic, and plainly intended to provoke. It leans into old tropes of the drunken Irish. It is quite bizarre that he assumes the only reason for having a different position from his administration is intoxication,’ he said.

‘Unfortunately this is not out of character, Mr Huckabee has a history of controversial comments, and is someone who does not believe in a two-state solution. His comments are wrong, but more worrying is the fact that a man who has such views as Mr Huckabee carries influence within the US administration, and what that says about US policy in the Middle East.’

Mr Huckabee is staunchly pro-Israel, and in an interview in 2017 with the CNN news network, he said: ‘There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria [the territory’s biblical name]. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighbourhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.’

He has gone as far as to question Palestinian identity. During his 2008 Republican presidential campaign, he said: ‘I need to be careful about saying this, because people will really get upset – there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.’

Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats justice spokesman, said that the comments about Ireland were ‘xenophobic’ and ‘anti-Irish’, adding that the Irish-American vote should be asked to push back at Mr Huckabee.

There have been several comments about Ireland’s position from senior US politicians in the last 48 hours, in what looked like a coordinated move by senior Republicans against the Bill, which seeks to ban the import and sale of goods and services from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Senator Lindsay Graham, a significant political ally of Donald Trump, tweeted: ‘I hope that Ireland will reconsider their efforts to economically isolate Israel, as they are in a fight for their very existence. I do not believe these efforts would be well received in the United States, and they certainly would not go unnoticed.’

Congressman Mike Lawler said: ‘Ireland’s draft BDS [Boycott, Divest and Sanctions] law is reckless and sets a dangerous precedent. Targeting Israel won’t bring peace, and will only reward extremism. Ireland should reject this misguided legislation and stand against hate.’

Congressman Josh Gottheimer wrote: ‘Ireland’s proposed legislation targets Jewish communities by singling out settlements tied to Israel. American companies with a presence in Ireland who complied with [it] would violate US anti-boycott statutes and face penalties in the US. America will continue to stand with our ally.’

While Congressman Andy Ogles wrote: ‘Ireland’s proposed ban of Jewish-made products is nothing short of anti-semitic. This proposal not only harms American businesses but undermines the very principles of Western civilisation. I vehemently oppose this decision and urge Ireland to reconsider.’

Congresswoman Lisa McClain tweeted that the Bill was ‘extreme anti-semitic hate’ while Rick Scott, a Republican senator from Florida, said Ireland should think twice about the message they’re sending by passing this bill’.

Daniel Mulhall, the former Irish Ambassador to the United States, said that Ireland could not expect a ‘free lunch’ for its position on Palestine in relation to how American politicians, particularly, Republicans, viewed the issue. Mr Mulhall pointed out that Mr Huckabee is a politician who became an ambassador.

‘He expresses himself more like the politician he was, than the ambassador he is,’ he said. Mr Mulhall said the comments were ‘extreme and over the top’ but they ‘point to a strong set of opinions across the political world, particularly in the Republican side of the house about Israel, which means we have to be conscious that when we do things related to Israel and the Middle East, it’s not a free lunch’.

‘It doesn’t mean we do nothing, but we should bear in mind that opinions can be perceived as hostile and to be anti-Israeli.’ ‘We can’t ignore the reality that some of the positions we may be about to take go down very badly in the United States.’