the European Union in his books. In an interview with Irish broadcaster Marian Finucane, on RTÉ (17 January 2009) and reported in the international press, McWilliams argued: "What I am saying is, that in Europe, if Ireland continues hurtling down this road, which is close to default, the whole of Europe will be badly affected, the credibility of the euro will be badly affected. .. It is very essential that we go to Europe and say we have a serious problem. … the way we get out of this is either – there are two options – either, we default, or we pull out of the euro. If we have a single currency, there are obligations and responsibilities on both sides. The idea that France and Germany can just hang us out to dry – as has been the talk the past few days – should not be taken lying down." Williams is a member of the Advisory Panel of DiEM25 Brexit and Euroscepticism McWilliams has frequently suggested that Ireland should leave the Euro and argued that the European Union is dominated by economies like Germany with very different priorities to Ireland. Despite hoping for a Remain vote and acknowledging that Brexit is a worse option for Britain, financially, he has expressed an understanding for why the British people might have voted for it with regards to issues like the desire for independence, noting that Switzerland and Norway pay handsomely to have access to the common market while remaining independent of the political union because they value the "feeling" of sovereignty. Ireland and Israel McWilliams, who briefly worked in Tel Aviv, has frequently suggested Israel as an economic and social role model for Ireland, arguing that the Republic should prioritise ties with the Irish diaspora around the world over EU member states with no historical connections to Ireland. Although McWilliams has defended and praised Israel in his writings, he has denied that he is a 'Friend of Israel' stating that he is "just somebody who is prepared to see an Israeli point of view". Controversies and Criticisms During the late 2000s, comments were occasionally made on McWillams' capacity for self-publicity, with the Irish Independent writing in 2006 "when you strip away the clever catchphrases, the cliched buzz words and the soundbite economics, what's left?". In one instance he was described in Phoenix Magazine as the David Beckham of Irish media.