Israel’s foreign minister denounced Ireland for “extreme anti-Israel policies” in a move that follows Dublin’s recognition of Palestinian statehood and its accusations of genocide in Gaza.
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Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin (left) meets then-Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in November 2023. | Pool photo by Zain Jaafar/ EFE via EPA
December 15, 2024 4:51 pm CET
DUBLIN — Israel is closing its embassy in Dublin in protest against Ireland’s decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood and to accuse the Israelis of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who confirmed the embassy closure in a statement Sunday, condemned Ireland for what he called its “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris — who recently said his country would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he set foot in Ireland — called Israel’s move “deeply regrettable” and rejected its criticisms.
The final straw for Israel appears to have been the Irish Cabinet’s decision last week to get more involved in South Africa’s year-old case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Following that Cabinet meeting, Martin said Ireland would ask the court “to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide by a state. 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.”
In Israel, Sa’ar sparred on social media with the Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, over the wisdom of the move to shut the Dublin embassy.
“The decision to close the Israeli embassy in Ireland is a victory for anti-Semitism and anti-Israel organizations,” Lapid argued. “The way to deal with criticism is not to run away, but to stay and fight!”
Israel also said it is opening a new embassy in Chișinău, Moldova.
This article has been updated.
