Israel to close embassy in Dublin after accusing Ireland of 'crossing every red line'

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Israel will close its embassy in Dublin owing to “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government”, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, accusing Ireland's government of “crossing every red line”.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris commented he was “deeply disappointed” by the move and “utterly rejected” the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Deputy prime minister Micheal Martin said there are no plans to close the Irish embassy in Israel. This year, the Irish government officially recognised the Palestinian state, which led to Israel to recall its ambassador from Dublin.

“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 towards Israel,” Mr Saar said.

Mr Harris said Ireland's foreign policy was founded on a “deep commitment to dialogue and to the peaceful resolution of disputes” and that embassies played an “important role”.

“Keeping channels open has never been more important so that we can better understand each other's positions, even when we disagree.”

This week it emerged that Ireland will formally intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In November, Mr Harris declared his country's authorities would detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he travelled to Ireland, after the ICJ issued an arrest warrant for him.

In May, Dublin recognised Palestine as a sovereign and independent state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. Last month, the Irish government accepted the appointment of a full Palestinian ambassador for the first time. Spain, Norway and Slovenia also recognised a Palestinian state this year, drawing retaliatory moves from Israel.

Mr Martin said Ireland's stance 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. This has been the case with regard to our response to the terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, and to the conduct by Israel of its military operations since then. The continuation of the war in Gaza and the loss of innocent lives is simply unacceptable and contravenes international law.”

The statement from Israel's foreign ministry also announced the establishment of an Israeli embassy in Moldova.