CNN
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday condemned Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies” and announced the closure of its embassy in Ireland.
“The actions and anti-Semitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and double standards. “Every red line in the relationship was crossed,” Searle said.
“Israel will invest resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries around the world, according to priorities that also take into account their attitudes and actions toward Israel,” he added.
The statement pointed to actions taken by the Irish government, including Ireland’s decision to recognize the state of Palestine and support for South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the move in a post on X, calling it a “victory for anti-Semitism and anti-Israel organizations.”
“The way to deal with criticism is not to run away, but to stand still and fight!”
His comments sparked a backlash from Saar, who wrote on his ” he wrote.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called Israel’s decision “deeply disappointing.”
“I completely reject the claim that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland supports peace, human rights and international law,” he wrote to X.
In May, Ireland announced that it would officially recognize a Palestinian state. “There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing,” Harris told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the time. In response, Israel ordered the immediate recall of its ambassador to Ireland.
In March, Dublin announced it would intervene in the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, reflecting the country’s longstanding solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The case was first brought to the ICJ by South Africa, and in its first judgment in January, the court ordered Israel to “take all possible steps” to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. He did not go so far as to bring charges against him.
