Ireland’s intervention in the genocide case against Israel in the International Criminal Court was the latest in a series of “steps, initiatives, statements” that have caused the Israeli government to regard Ireland as “the most extreme country against Israel internationally” and to close its embassy in Dublin, the Israeli ambassador Dana Erlich has said.
Her comments come as President Michael D Higgins hit back at claims from Israel that Ireland’s position was motivated by anti-Semitism as “gross defamation”.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Ms Erlich also said that concern in Jerusalem about the Occupied Territories Bill was a “big factor” in the decision to close the embassy. The Bill is regarded by friends and critics of Israel as a significant step in isolating the country and is likely to be reintroduced by the next government.
“We see Ireland again trying to promote a step that will isolate and discriminate against Israel,” she said.
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Ms Erlich warned of rising anti-Semitism in Ireland and said the position of Ireland was well known internationally to be “extreme against Israel”.
“When I meet other ambassadors, they ask me, why does Ireland hate Israel?” she said.
Unlike the Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar, Ms Erlich did not specifically call Taoiseach Simon Harris anti-Semitic, though she said comments by him were “hateful and incitement” and they were “raising anti-Semitic hostility in Ireland”.
Ms Erlich said condemnations of Hamas by the Irish Government and calls for the hostages to be released were “lip service”, adding there were double standards in how Israel was treated.
Asked if she believed that criticism of Israel was not linked to Israel’s attacks on Gaza after the October 7th attacks by Hamas, Ms Erlich said: “If that were the case, where is the public outrage for the fact that Israelis were under attack from rocket attacks by Hizbullah since October 8th?
“Did the Dáil pass any resolution condemning Hizbullah, holding them accountable for the ongoing rocket attacks? So if you say that it’s about that, then also, why didn’t we see any overblown support for Israel on October 8th? ... We appreciate the condemnation for the atrocities of Hamas, and we appreciate the ongoing calls for the release of hostages, but that cannot only be used as lip service.”
But Mr Higgins has said it is a “gross defamation” and “deep slander” for the Israeli government to describe the Irish people as anti-Semitic.
“I think it is very important as President of Ireland to say that [for Israel to say] the Irish people are anti-Semitic is a deep slander,” he said.
The President was responding to comments by Israel’s foreign minister who on Monday accused Ireland of delegitimising and dehumanising Israel, and applying double standards in its response to its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Mr Higgins said: “It is a very serious business to actually brand a people because of the fact they disagree with prime minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu who is in breach of so many bits of international law and has breached the sovereignty of Lebanon, Syria and would like to have settlement in each of them.
“To suggest that because one criticises prime minister Netanyahu, one is anti-Semitic is such a gross defamation and slander,” he said. “Over the years I think it is the Irish psyche that we understand the words ‘dispossession’, ‘occupation’ and so on.
“That is why we stress the importance of international law and also particularly in relation to the rights [and] obligations of those who are in occupation on what is occupied territory,” he said.
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