LAST UPDATE | 41 mins ago

THE CHAIRPERSON OF the Jewish Council of Ireland has said he is “deeply concerned” by the deterioration in relations between Ireland and Israel following the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin yesterday.

Maurice Cohen, chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said the Irish Government’s intervention at the ICJ alongside South Africa had risked “oversimplifying” a complex and tragic conflict, “unfairly isolating Israel, and undermining the integrity of the term ‘genocide’.”

He said consular services provided by the embassy are vital for those maintaining connections with family, culture and heritage in Israel.

“Losing this resource will leave many feeling unsupported and aggrieved,” he said, adding that the closure of the embassy “represents not only a symbolic blow but also a practical disadvantage”.

The move comes in the wake of diplomatic tension between the countries over Ireland’s recognition of Palestinian statehood and its participation in the South African lawsuit against Israel at the ICJ.

The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the news of the embassy closure yesterday afternoon due to the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policy”.

“The actions, double standards, and antisemitic rhetoric of the Irish government against Israel are rooted in efforts to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state,” Sa’ar said in a statement. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, when asked about Sa’ar’s statement, Cohen said: “The criticism of the Israeli government can be justified as criticism of any government.

“However, when it becomes a case where it is singled out, when one wouldn’t single out any other country for doing and taking similar action,” Cohen continued, before he was asked specifically about the Irish Government’s criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.

“Every war can be criticised. Nobody likes war, and it needs time to explain what it’s doing,” he said.

“I always ask the simple question, what would you do if you were to respond to the actions of 7 October? I haven’t got an answer from any politician in Ireland about that. It is horrific, and the Jewish community stands by a two-state solution, and that’s what we hope and pray for.”

When asked when criticism of war becomes antisemitic, Cohen said: “I’m not sure when criticism of any war becomes antisemitic. It depends on how that criticism is leveled at any particular actor in the area.”

He said that in practical terms, the move to close the embassy here will mean that consular services for Israeli citizens “will be much more difficult to come by”.

“The consular services may be moved to another country, or the embassy may downgrade to a consulate. That is something that we haven’t heard and it’s much too early to determine. I’m sure that the Israeli Foreign Office, to which I’m not privy, will make that determination.”

‘Deeply regrettable’

In a post to X, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that he “utterly reject[s] the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel”, adding that it is a “deeply regrettable decision from the Netanyahu government”.

In a statement, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that he also regretted the decision made by Israel and reiterated his call for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

He also said that there are no plans to close Ireland’s embassy in Tel Aviv.

“Ireland’s position on the conflict in the Middle East has always been guided by the principles of international law and the obligation on all States to adhere to international humanitarian law.

”The continuation of the war in Gaza and the loss of innocent lives is simply unacceptable and contravenes international law. It represents the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Dan Mulhall, former Irish ambassador to the US, described it as “a bad day for diplomacy”, saying the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin would be a “complicating factor” for Irish-US relations.

“Israel has an incredibly well organized lobby in the United States, and they will no doubt be talking to their friends in Congress and in the incoming administration,” Mulhall told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“When the new administration comes in, it will be a moment of risk and jeopardy for Ireland in our relation with the United States, because whatever we do with regard to Palestine will be looked at carefully in Washington.

“When the Trump administration comes in to government, in next month, we will have to be careful everything we say,” Mulhall added.

Tensions between Ireland and Israel have been strained as the Irish government have voiced their support for Palestine as the conflict in Gaza rages on.

On Wednesday, Martin secured Cabinet approval for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel, which is currently before the International Court of Justice.

The case against Israel concerns breaches of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Ireland will support South Africa’s case against Israel, initiated following the launch of Israeli military operations in Gaza since 7 October 2023.