Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said on Monday that Ireland’s intervention at the ICJ and its previous recognition of the "state of Palestine" is motivated by “respect for international humanitarian law” and added that supporting the ICJ and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, should not be viewed as a hostile act.
Martin spoke in Brussels a day after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin.
“Ireland’s actions and rhetoric are rooted in delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, accompanied by blatant double standards,” Sa'ar said. “Ireland has crossed every red line in its treatment of Israel. We will redirect our resources toward strengthening ties with nations that respect Israel.”
“We’ve consistently called for an immediate cease-fire, release of all hostages, and a massive surge of humanitarian aid,” the Irish minister said, adding that there must be "full accountability for the destruction of much of Gaza by the IDF in the war as well as accountability for Hamas militants who had controlled the Palestinian enclave, and Hezbollah in Lebanon."
Martin also called on Israel to "open up" Gaza to the international community and the media, so that they could “bear witness” to what is happening.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris reacts to the Israeli closure of the Dublin embassy
Chairman of the Irish Jewish Representative Council Maurice Cohen expressed his concern over the deterioration of Israeli-Irish diplomatic relations and said that the closure of the embassy "has caused distress" for Israelis in Ireland.
"The closure of the embassy represents not only a symbolic blow but also a practical disadvantage," Cohen said. "Consular services provided by the embassy are vital for those maintaining connections with family, culture, and heritage in Israel," he added.
He said that losing this resource would leave many feeling unsupported and aggrieved, according to Cohen.
"Closing the embassy risks alienating a significant segment of Irish society and sends a message that dialogue is being replaced by disengagement," he added
Cohen said that Ireland's decision to join the case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, is a overly simplistic interpretation of a complex and tragic dispute "unfairly isolating Israel, and undermining the integrity of the term 'genocide'."
He said that the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland reaffirmed its commitment to peace and the protection of innocent lives "on all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," while also supporting Israel's right to defend itself from "terrorism and existential threats."
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Cohen called on both the Irish and Israeli governments to seek pathways to rebuild trust and to ensure avenues for diplomatic engagement remain open.
In an interview with Ynet, Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, said that diplomatic ties between the two countries have not been severed by the Foreign Minister's decision, but after some consideration the ministry in Jerusalem decided to allocate resources elsewhere amid the blatant anti-Israel policies of the current government in Dublin. She said that there is support for Israel among the Irish people but that is not expressed or heard enough.