Israel to close embassy in Ireland over ‘antisemitic’ policies
Israel will close its embassy in Dublin due to “the Irish government’s extreme anti-Israel policies,” Israel’s foreign minister said.
Gideon Sall said the Republic of Ireland had crossed “every red line”.
He said in a statement that Israel’s ambassador to Dublin had been recalled in the past over Ireland’s “unilateral decision to recognize the state of Palestine.”
He added that the decision came after Ireland announced its support for South Africa taking legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the country of “genocide”.
Mr Saar said: “At the root of Ireland’s actions and anti-Semitic rhetoric against Israel is the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and double standards.
“Israel will invest resources in accordance with priorities and advance bilateral relations with countries around the world, while also taking into account the attitudes and actions of these countries towards Israel.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said Israel’s decision to close the Irish embassy was “deeply regrettable”.
He also denied that Ireland was anti-Israel.
