Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has ordered the closure of the Israeli embassy in Ireland “in light of the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government,” the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said on Sunday.
Ireland is among the fiercest critics of Israel’s conflict in the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian sources say have killed almost 45,000 people.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin recently spoke of “collective punishment of the Palestinian people through the intent and impact of military actions of Israel in Gaza.”
Earlier this year, Ireland, alongside Spain, Slovenia, and Norway, recognized Palestine as an independent state.
Additionally, Ireland is set to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, urging the court to further expand the definition of the term genocide.
“The actions and anti-Semitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” Saar said, according to the ministry. “Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris rejected the allegations. He described Israel’s decision to close the embassy as “deeply regrettable.”
“I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel,” Harris wrote on the platform X. “Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law.”
