Posted by This Irish student had to leave campus for supporting Israel
Safety concerns forced Jamie O’Mahony to stay away for a week following intimidation over his establishing an advocacy group.
Jamie O’Mahony speaks to stuents about Israel at the Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland in March 2025. Photo courtesy of O’Mahony.
(April 21, 2025 / JNS)
A university student in Ireland last month received death threats, lost a campus leadership position and was forced to stay away from campus for a week amid antisemitic harassment after supporting Israel publicly.
The student, Jamie O’Mahony, 21, told JNS that Dublin City University had failed to adequately support him in the aftermath of the ordeal.
Disillusioned and shocked, O’Mahony is now questioning his future in his native country, where he and other critics fear that anti-Zionism has fused with antisemitism to poison the public discourse on Israel.
The ordeal began on March 6, when O’Mahony set up the Dublin City University chapter of the Students Supporting Israel international network (SSI). He and the chapter’s four other members held a tabling event on campus to advance their cause. The event occurred without incident, but an image of O’Mahony at the event was posted on Instagram, where it went viral with about 150,000 views and some 2,500 mostly negative comments. It led to a campaign of intimidation, he said.
“A lot of it focused on my appearance. People assumed I was Jewish and sent antisemitic messages,” he told JNS earlier this month. “But it got serious when my university timetable was posted online. People were saying, ‘He’s going to be in this room at this time—let’s get him.’”
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As a result, O’Mahony stayed home for a week, missing classes out of concern for his safety. Though no physical attacks occurred, he described a hostile atmosphere on campus. “Even now, I walk through the hallway and hear insults. It’s not something you should have to think about when going to class,” he said.
One comment against Dublin City University’s SSI chapter, posted in response to a picture of O’Mahony and the remaining four members, read: “Can’t wait for these to get jumped,” followed by a skull emoji. Another said, “All 5 should be shot.” A third read: “Bring back public humiliation rituals.”
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