Israel Closes Embassy In Ireland, Blames Country For 'Extreme Anti-Israel Policies'

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure of the country's embassy in Ireland on Sunday, accusing Ireland of adopting "extreme anti-Israel policies."

"The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards. Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel," Sa'ar said, according to a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry.

"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," he added.

The statement highlighted actions taken by the Irish government, including its decision to recognise a Palestinian state and its support for South Africa's legal action against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), reported CNN.

Yair Lapid, leader of Israel's opposition, criticised the move in a post on X, calling it a "victory for antisemitism and anti-Israel organisations."

"The way to deal with criticism is not to run away, but to stay and fight!"

His comments prompted a backlash from Sa'ar, who responded on his own X account: "Shame on you, Yair!... This is clear antisemitism based on delegitimisation, dehumanisation and double standards towards the Jewish state."

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called Israel's decision "deeply regrettable."

"I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law," he wrote on X.

In May, Ireland announced it would formally recognise the State of Palestine. "There is never a wrong time to do the right thing," Prime Minister Harris told CNN's Christiane Amanpour at the time. In response, Israel ordered the immediate recall of its ambassador to Ireland.

In March, Dublin said it would intervene in a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, reflecting the country's long-standing position of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

The case was initially brought to the ICJ by South Africa, and in an initial ruling in January, the court ordered Israel to "take all measures within its power" to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, although it stopped short of accusing Israel of genocide.