Israel announced on Sunday that it will close its embassy in Dublin, citing the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policies”.

According to Reuters, tensions between the two nations have grown since May, when Ireland became one of the few European countries to officially recognize a Palestinian state. Last week, relations soured further when Dublin backed South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide during its ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Israel’s foreign ministry condemned Ireland’s actions, accusing the Irish government of antisemitic rhetoric and unfairly targeting the Jewish state.

“Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel,” said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in a statement. He criticized Ireland for what he called the delegitimization of Israel and the application of double standards.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris expressed deep regret over Israel’s decision and defended Ireland’s stance as aligned with international law and human rights. “I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel,” Harris wrote on X.

Foreign Minister Micheal Martin echoed this sentiment, stating that Ireland would maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite the embassy closure. He also reaffirmed Ireland’s condemnation of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel while emphasizing that Israel’s subsequent military actions in Gaza must comply with international humanitarian law.


Israel also announced plans to open a new embassy in Moldova, signaling a possible shift in its diplomatic focus. This development, however, does not overshadow the significant rupture in Israeli-Irish relations, with both sides offering starkly different narratives on the reasons behind the diplomatic breakdown.