Fact check: Israel’s foreign minister decided to close its embassy in Ireland

Ireland has not evicted the Israeli ambassador, despite claims on social media.

Tuesday 17 December 2024 15:36 GMT

The Israeli Embassy on Shelbourne Road in Dublin (Cillian Sherlock/PA) (PA Wire)

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A widely spread post on social media site Bluesky has claimed that “Ireland has evicted the Israeli ambassador”.

Evaluation

The Israeli embassy in Ireland is to close, however this was a decision taken by Israel, not by Ireland.

The facts

On December 15 Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, announced on social media in an English-language statement that he had decided to shut the country’s embassy in Dublin.

Mr Sa’ar said: “Today, I have instructed the closure of Israel’s Embassy in Ireland. The actions, double standards, and antisemitic rhetoric of the Irish government against Israel are rooted in efforts to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state.”

The statement accused Ireland of recognising a Palestinian state “during attacks on Israel” and supporting “baseless claims” against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It also said, among other things, that “Ireland is one of the few European countries that has not adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism”.

In response, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “This is a deeply regrettable decision from the Netanyahu government. I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law.”