The Israeli government announced this Sunday (15) that it will close its embassy in Dublin due to the “extremist anti-Israel positions of the Irish government”, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With this, countries are one step away from breaking diplomatic relations.
According to Tel Aviv, the decision was taken after the announcement that Ireland would file a request with the International Court of Justice in favor of South Africa’s action against Israel, which accuses the Jewish State of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision to close the embassy regrettable. “I firmly reject the claim that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law, and wants a two-state solution so that Israel and Palestine can live in peace and security.”
At Pretoria’s request, the Hague Court assesses whether Tel Aviv’s actions against the Palestinian population in Gaza constitute the crime of genocide. On Wednesday (11), Dublin said it intends to ask the body to expand its definition of genocide.
According to Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, the government believes that “a narrow interpretation of genocide could lead to a culture of impunity and put the protection of civilians at risk.”
For the Irish government, the United Nations Genocide Convention allows collective punishment actions “such as those carried out by Israel against the Palestinian population in Gaza” to also be classified as genocide.
In March, Martin had already said that Dublin intended to intervene in the case against Israel in The Hague. “Taking hostages, impeding humanitarian assistance to civilians, attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, using explosive weapons indiscriminately in densely populated areas, the collective punishment of an entire population, the list is endless. This has to stop. Enough is enough,” said the Irish minister at the time.
Amnesty International also accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza. For the entity, Tel Aviv seeks to eliminate civilians directly through bombings, destruction of infrastructure and obstructing the delivery of food, medicine and other goods.
In response, Israel said that Amnesty International is “a deplorable and fanatical organization” that “forged a report based on lies.”
The decision to close the embassy in Dublin came after Israel recalled its ambassador in a gesture of reprimand when Ireland took the decision to officially recognize Palestine as a state, a move announced jointly with Spain and Norway in May.
