|  Friday, January 3, 2003 -- Page 8.
STATE PAPERS OF 1972 Berry view of anti-Jewish feeling was rejected by colleagues By Deaglán de Bréadún DIFFERENCES in official circles in the 1950s as to the true level of anti-Semitism in Ireland at the time have emerged in documents released to the National Archives. The then secretary of the department of justice, Mr. Peter Berry, claimed there was "fairly strong" anti-Semitic feeling throughout the State. However, this was strongly disputed by colleagues in the department of external (later foreign) affairs. Mr. Berry claimed that the Jewish Community had refused to assimilate and appeared to have "disproportionate wealth and influence". Admitting Jews as refugees presented "a special problem" and the law had always been administered "less liberally" in their case. If made public at the time, Mr. Berry's views could themselves have been a subject of controversy. He was one of the most powerful civil servants in the history of the modern Irish State. The file in question concerns a proposal from the Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Robert Briscoe, a leading member of the Jewish community who later served as lord mayor of Dublin, for the admission of 10 Jewish families from the Soviet bloc in 1953. Mr Berry commented: "It has always been recognised in the departments of justice, industry and commerce and external affairs that the question of the admission of aliens of Jewish blood presents a special problem and the alien laws have always been administered less liberally in their case." "Although the Jewish community in Ireland is only 3,907 persons, according to the 1946 census, there is a fairly strong anti-Semitic feeling throughout the country based, perhaps, on historical reasons, the fact that the Jews have remained a seperate community within the community and have not permitted themselves to be assimilated, and that for their numbers they appear to have dis-proportionate wealth and influence." Even the financial guarantees were open to question, as "it has been the experience of the department of justice over many years that the Jews are prepared to put foward any plea that would enable an alien co-religionist to get over an immediate difficulty". Despite the negative tone of the Berry memorandum, the government decided that five Jewish families should be admitted for a maximum stay of two years. A note from a civil servant in external affairs expressed "considerable disagreement" with the memo: "I think we can, for the honour of our country, refute the suggestion of a 'widespread anti-Semitism'. I know of no such feeling except amongst a few fanatics. Moreover, our Constitution is so far as I know unique in giving specific recognition to the Jewish faith - surely a proof that anti-Semitism is not widespread." A note in Irish, apparently by the minister for external
affairs, Mr Frank Aiken, states: "Aontuím (I
agree)". However, no action was taken to admit the refugees
and, on June 22nd, Mr Berry wrote to Mr Thomas
Commins at external affairs: "We have deliberately
adopted a 'go-slow' policy in this matter as we have reason
to believe that the Jewish community in Ireland and the
international organisation abroad have fallen out as to who
should bear the costs."
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