“The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said.
The Irish government last week approved a proposal to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has ordered the Israeli embassy in Dublin to close for what he called “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Israel’s ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich “was returned to Israel in light of Ireland‘s decision to unilaterally recognize a ‘Palestinian state,’” Sa’ar said.
“The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” he said in a statement.
Ireland has for years criticized Israel and its policies in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, but the rhetoric has escalated since Jerusalem responded to the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, that triggered a multi-front war.
The Irish government last week approved a proposal to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said he had secured the cabinet’s approval to intervene in the case against Israel, and said that the intervention would be filed later this month.
In a press release, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said that “By legally intervening in South Africa’s case, Ireland will be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide.”
“We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized,” the statement said.
On October 29, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called on the European Union to “review its trade relations” with Israel, following what he described as a “shameful” vote by the Knesset on a law banning the activities in Israel of UNRWA, the United Nations aid agency for Palestinians.
Harris — who recently said his country would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he set foot in Ireland — called Israel’s move to close its embassy “deeply regrettable” and rejected its criticisms.
He added: “I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law.’’
Micheal Martin, who is a member of the Fianna Gail party and is expected to succeed Harris as Prime Minister in a new coalition government, said Ireland would maintain its own embassy in Israel to ensure that diplomatic channels stay open.