Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar has today announced the closure of the Israeli embassy in Ireland.
A statement issued by his office said the “decision to close Israel’s embassy in Dublin was made in light of the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government.”
The statement continued: “It should be noted that in the past, Israel’s ambassador to Dublin was recalled following Ireland’s unilateral decision to recognize a ‘Palestinian state.’ Last week, Ireland announced its support for South Africa's legal action against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of “genocide.”
In a statement online, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “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.”
Foreign Minister Sa’ar said: “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.
“Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel. Israel will invest its resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries worldwide according to priorities that also take into account the attitudes and actions of these states toward Israel.”
“There are countries interested in strengthening their ties with Israel where we do not yet have an Israeli embassy. We will adjust Israel’s diplomatic network of missions while giving due weight, among other factors, to the positions and actions of various countries toward Israel in the diplomatic arena.”
Mr Sa’ar also announced the opening of a new Israeli embassy in Moldova.
“The relations between Israel and Moldova are friendly and both countries seek to expand and deepen them,” he said.
