Israel does not want “Ireland’s silence” and criticism of the scale of the Gaza war, the Irish prime minister said after Israel announced plans to close its embassy in Dublin.
Simon Harris said the country was unequivocal in its support for Israel’s right to defend itself within international humanitarian law and accused Benjamin Netanyahu of using the decision to close his embassy as a “distraction”.
“Do you know what I think is wrong? Killing children, I think, is reprehensible. Do you know what I think is reprehensible? We saw the scale of civilian deaths that we saw in Gaza. Do you know what I think is reprehensible? “People are left to starve and humanitarian aid is not flowing,” he told reporters in Dublin on Monday, adding that he was extremely proud of Ireland’s continued advocacy for innocent Palestinians.
Dana Erlich, Israel’s ambassador to Ireland told the Radio in Dublin that Israel “it would not dissolve diplomatic relations” but “physically blocked the embassy” to relocate resources to places that “desire more collaboration with Israel.”
But she also protested what she described as “an extreme insult to Ireland and a plan against Israel.”
Formerly Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland; Michael Martin “Irish’s position against the war on Gaza,” he said, “should not be seen as hostile.”
Israel ordered to be closed on Sunday; Ireland’s decision last week to accept an international petition for justice against Israel for genocide is reported. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said the move suggested “extreme anti-Israeli behavior” by the Irish government.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Martin reiterated Irish criticism of the scale of Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attack, and defended the country’s decision to support the ICJ petition.
Any action taken by the Irish government is “nothing but respect for international humanitarian law,” said Martin, who is also Ireland’s foreign minister. “Using international courts through Ireland … where there can be an international system of war crimes in any part of the world, including Gaza, should not be seen as a hostile act.”
On Sunday, Sa’ar said, “Ireland has crossed red lines in its relationship with Israel.”
Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Representative Council of Irish Jews, said he was “dismayed” by the deterioration of relations between the two countries. He said Ireland’s intervention at the ICJ was “a very complex and tragic battle” and “Israel has wrongfully removed” it when it undermined the definition of genocide.