On Sunday, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, announced that Israel’s embassy in Ireland will close due to the “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government.”
In May, Israel recalled its ambassador after Ireland became one of three EU countries that said they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
“The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards,” says Sa’ar in a statement. “Ireland has crossed all red lines in its relationship with Israel. Israel will invest its resources in promoting bilateral relations with the countries of the world according to priorities that are also derived from the attitude of the various countries towards it.”
At the same time, Sa’ar announces that Israel will open an embassy in Moldova, which already has an embassy in Israel. The opening is expected to occur in the next year, and Israel is beginning the process of finding a site and appointing an ambassador.
“There are countries that are interested in strengthening their ties with Israel and do not yet have an Israeli embassy,” says Sa’ar. “We will adjust the Israeli diplomatic structure of our missions while giving weight, among other things, to the approach and actions of the various countries towards Israel in the political arena.”
The Irish government has signaled a disturbing trend of anti-semitism in recent years that saw an uptick following the horrifying Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7.
In December 2023, Ireland’s City Council, in a unanimous vote, agreed to fly the Palestinian flag over Dublin’s City Hall for seven days.
Cork City Council lit up city hall in “Palestinian” green and flew the Palestinian flag.
Cork City Council in Ireland yesterday lit up city hall in “Palestinian” green; flew the Palestinian flag. Needless to say, comparable expressions of solidarity with #Israel were not made in the wake of October 7th. pic.twitter.com/fhrxI8ANfo
— Daniel Rosehill (@danielsrosehill) November 30, 2023
In the weeks before the U.S. elections, Fine Gael’s Punam Rane, a councilor for Kimmage-Rathmines, said during a council meeting that “the entire US economy” is “ruled by the Jews, by Israel.”
Would you want to have your embassy here? pic.twitter.com/rpGi6rhrzl
— Holmes1618 (@Holmes1618) December 15, 2024
Last week, Ireland’s cabinet joined South Africa at the International Criminal Court (ICJ) in The Hague South Africa’ in asking the ICJ to redefine genocide so Israel can be found guilty of it.
“The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, today secured Government approval for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel under the Genocide Convention.”
“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 minimised.”
“Ireland’s view of the Convention is broader and priorities the protection of civilian life – as a committed supporter of the Convention, the Government will promote that interpretation in its intervention in this case.”
