Ireland: Israel embassy closure deeply concerning, Jewish council says

Ireland’s Jewish Representative Council chairperson is “deeply concerned” by the deterioration in the relationship between the Republic of Ireland and Israel.

Chairperson Maurice Cohen said that the closure of Israel’s embassy in Ireland has caused distress for Israeli people in Ireland.

Israel said it will close its embassy in Dublin over “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government”.

Its foreign minister Gideon Saar said the Republic of Ireland had crossed “every red line”.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris said the decision is “deeply regrettable”. He also rejected that Ireland is anti-Israel.

Mr Cohen said that the Irish government’s intervention in the International Court of Justice risks “oversimplifying a highly complex and tragic conflict, unfairly isolating Israel, and undermining the integrity of the term ‘genocide'”, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.

He said that for the Jewish community in Ireland, “the closure of the embassy represents not only a symbolic blow but also a practical disadvantage”.

“Consular services provided by the embassy are vital for those maintaining connections with family, culture, and heritage in Israel,” he added.

“Losing this resource will leave many feeling unsupported and aggrieved.

“Closing the embassy risks alienating a significant segment of Irish society and sends a message that dialogue is being replaced by disengagement.”

He said that the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland reaffirmed its commitment to peace and the protection of innocent lives “on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, while also supporting Israel’s right to defend itself from “terrorism and existential threats”.

Mr Cohen called on both the Irish and Israeli governments to seek pathways to rebuild trust and to ensure avenues for diplomatic engagement remain open.

Daniel Epstein-O’Dowd, from the Ireland Israel Alliance, told BBC News NI that it was a “predictable” decision by Israel to close its embassy in Dublin and that “post October 7th there has just been provocation after provocation by the Irish government”.

He said it is a “very symbolic move by Israel and showing that they ultimately don’t see any value in retaining any diplomatic presence” in the Republic of Ireland and “deeply sad”.

“There are many Israelis who are in the tech industry here in Dublin who are a little bit stranded and isolated quite frankly, they feel the Israeli embassy was very much there for them, particularly in the dark days immediately post October 7th, the embassy really shone through in the sense of that community,” he added.

“So I think it is wondering where do they go next?

“I don’t think that detail has yet been released, but I think it is ultimately going to be somewhere else other than Ireland, it’s a very sad day for anybody in Ireland or Israel.”

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin said there are no plans to close its embassy in Israel.

On 7 October last year, Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

In retaliation, Israel launched a massive operation inside the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of eliminating Hamas.

So far, at least 44,875 people have been killed and more than 100,000 injured – mostly civilians, the Hamas-run health ministry says. The UN regards these figures as reliable.