THE TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL Martin has taken issue comments made by the Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich about Ireland’s intention to formally recognise the Palestinian state, labelling them “absurd”. 

On Thursday Erlich wrote in an Irish Times opinion piece that an extreme “anti-Israel” discourse has been allowed to emerge in Ireland, which in her view culminated in her invitation to the Fine Gael Ard Fheis being rescinded. 

She said that the solution to the conflict that Ireland and other countries have proposed – a two-state solution that would see a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state – would be a “dangerous” signal to Hamas and its supporters, as it would be viewed as “rewarding terrorism”. 

“Political solutions cannot be enforced by actors who ultimately do not have to bear the consequences of their input,” Erlich added. 

Today on RTÉ’s ‘This Week’ radio programme Martin, speaking about Erlich’s comments, said: “That’s an absurd assertion, I think Israel needs to respect the democratic views of other countries”. 

“For a long time everyone was on the one page in respect of a two-state solution, so how is it in any way rewarding terrorism to say that we recognise a Palestinian state.. the only way we will have peace in the future is by having co-existence between Israel and the Palestinian state,” he added.

In her article, Erlich said that the Hamas attacks resulted in the death of around 1,200 Israeli people, and called the group a “Jihadi organisation” that has a charter “dedicated to the extermination of all Jews”. 

Erlich alleged that there was an “automatic” expression of support for Palestinians following October 7, “and even Hamas”. 

Today Martin said: “The Israeli ambassador was not accurate and not correct in that article”. 

He reaffirmed his view that Hamas is a “terrorist organisation”. He said that in recognising the state of Palestine, Ireland would not be legitimising Hamas, but legitimising the aspirations of Palestinians from ‘across Gaza and the West Bank”. 

Martin said that he takes “serious issue” with what the Israeli ambassador has said about Ireland’s response to the conflict in the Middle East, and that he will be responding to her comments. 

“I have condemned Hamas, not just the attacks. We did condemn the attacks resolutely on October 7th, and sometimes Israeli spokespeople try to call that into question,” he said. 

The Israeli ambassador was not invited to the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis this weekend. 

A spokesperson for the party said that while it has condemned attacks on the Israeli people “more than six months on, we truly believe that the ongoing response from Israel is completely disproportionate and the fact that aid is being held back while children and others die from famine cannot and will not be condoned.”