Israel's foreign ministry announced on Sunday, December 15, that it was closing its embassy in Ireland, citing the Dublin government's "extreme anti-Israeli policies," further straining tense relations between the two nations.
"The decision to close Israel's embassy in Dublin was made in light of the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government," the ministry said in a statement, following a series of moves that included formally recognizing a Palestinian state and backing an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
"The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, along with double standards," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said. "Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel."
Ireland reacted to the decision on Sunday, saying it was "deeply regrettable." Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said "I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law," in a post on X.
Ireland has also been among the most outspoken critics of Israel's response to the October 7 attacks by Hamas that sparked the war in Gaza.
In November, Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris said the country's authorities would detain his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu if he traveled to Ireland after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him. The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20 this year in the Gaza Strip.
In May, Dublin said it recognized Palestine as "a sovereign and independent state" comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. Spain and Norway recognized a Palestinian state on the same day, with Slovenia following a week later, drawing retaliatory moves from Israel. In November, Dublin accepted the appointment of a full Palestinian ambassador for the first time.
Sa'ar said Israel would invest its resources in building ties with other countries, and on Sunday announced the opening of an embassy in Moldova. "We will adjust Israel's diplomatic network of missions while giving due weight, among other factors, to the positions and actions of various countries toward Israel in the diplomatic arena," he said.