Ireland’s ‘home of music’ accused of ‘antisemitic censorship’ after axing 7 October fundraiser

A row has erupted in Ireland after Dublin’s National Concert Hall cancelled a fundraising event for an Israeli emergency medical charity following a series of reversals.

The event, organised by Magen David Adom (MDA) Ireland, had initially been accepted, then revoked, reinstated and ultimately cancelled, according to its organiser Alan Shatter, a former Irish justice minister.

Shatter said he was informed on Friday that the venue would no longer host the event, which had been scheduled for 11 May.

The National Concert Hall, sometimes described as “the home of music in Ireland”, which is a publicly funded institution under Ireland’s Department of Culture, said the decision was based on maintaining “political neutrality”.

In a statement, Shatter said the cancellation “can be properly described as an act of antisemitic censorship”.

“The National Concert Hall disgracefully and indefensibly cancelling a Magen David Adom Ireland private fund-raising event… is truly disgraceful and shocking,” he added.

The fundraiser was due to include a staged reading recounting the experiences of survivors of the 7 October Hamas attacks and emergency responders, “narrated in their own words”.

Shatter said he had met representatives from the venue earlier in the week, with discussions focusing heavily on security concerns. However, he said the final decision referenced “new circumstances”, including media coverage published days earlier.

The National Concert Hall confirmed the decision, stating: “The proposed event with MDA Ireland on 11 May will not proceed.”

The event centred on a theatrical production based on interviews conducted in Israel by Irish filmmakers Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, which has previously drawn protests during performances in the United States.

MDA, Israel’s national emergency medical service, is recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and provides ambulance and medical care regardless of background or identity.

MDA Global President, and Former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan described the venue’s decision to cancel the event as showing “that its integrity and morality are compromised at best, and perhaps been abandoned entirely.

“This decision is antisemitic – censorship tainted by bad faith and ignorance. Like the Irish Red Cross, Magen David Adom Israel is a non-governmental organization in which Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze work side-by-side to provide humanitarian services to anyone in need, regardless of ethnicity, religion, race or gender.”

Erdan went on to say that “Approximately three years ago, MDA hosted in Israel representatives of Ireland’s ambulance and blood services so they could learn about our advanced life saving organisation, fast response times and integrated software.

“We did so in a spirit of friendship to positively contribute to life saving in Ireland. The decision to cancel the event of MDA Ireland is, in our experience, an egregious global first. The NCH should revisit and reverse that decision.”

Shatter said it was unacceptable that a fundraiser for “an independent humanitarian organisation dedicated to life-saving and emergency medical response connected to the Jewish community should not be a cause of difficulty or controversy”.

He called for the event to be reinstated and urged those responsible for the decision to resign.

The episode comes amid strained relations between Ireland and Israel following the 7 October attacks and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Separately, public debate has intensified in recent months over issues relating to Jewish heritage in Ireland, including discussions concerning a park named after Chaim Herzog, the Dublin-born sixth president of Israel.