Recently appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Ireland of crossing “every red line in its relations with Israel”.
Israel announced on Sunday that it will close its Dublin embassy, attributing the decision to what it described as Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies,” Reuters news agency reported.
These policies allegedly include the Irish government’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its support for international legal action regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
The move follows Israel’s recall of its ambassador earlier this year after Ireland recognized a Palestinian state in May.
Israel will close its embassy in Dublin in light of what it says “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said in a statement.
Should the Irish cry or beg you to keep it open? pic.twitter.com/IyndiUSN3e
— Yousef يوسف (@YousefAlhelou) December 15, 2024
Tensions escalated further last week when Dublin supported South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of genocide.
In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “The decision to close Israel’s embassy in Dublin was made in light of the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government.”
Recently appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Ireland of crossing “every red line in its relations with Israel”.
“The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” he added, according to Reuters.
This is a deeply regrettable decision from the Netanyahu government. I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law. https://t.co/rDga5GpT3u
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) December 15, 2024
Responding to the announcement, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris described the decision as “deeply regrettable,” emphasizing that Ireland remains committed to human rights and international law.
“I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights, and pro-international law. Ireland wants a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security,” Harris concluded.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin confirmed that diplomatic relations between the two countries would continue despite the closure. He clarified that Ireland had no plans to shut down its embassy in Israel.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 44,976 Palestinians have been killed, and 106,759 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
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Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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