Israel Will Close Its Embassy in Ireland

Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, said the Israeli embassy in Dublin in Ireland would be closed. The decision is in response to the Irish government’s decision to back South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice. Along with other European countries, such as Spain, Slovenia, and Norway, Ireland had earlier already expressed its will to officially recognize a Palestinian state. And in the first days of December, news broke from Dublin of a speech to ask the Court to expand what is part of the definition of genocide to extend it to the actions of the Israeli army in Gaza.

Thus, Sa’ar explained the desire to close the embassy “in light of the extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government. Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel,” adding that Dublin’s actions express “the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state.”

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision to close the embassy reprehensible, pointing out that his government’s action was not at odds with Israel, but in favor of peace, sharing the concern of his Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, who explained: “We are concerned that a very restrictive interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized.”