Israel has ordered the closure of its embassy in Dublin, citing anti-Israel policies from the Irish Government.
Here is the background to the decision, and what the implications could be.
What led to this decision?
Israeli-Irish relations have become increasingly strained since October 2023, as Ireland criticised the scale of Israel’s military response to the attack orchestrated by Hamas on southern Israel. The death toll in the wake of the invasion of Gaza is nearing 45,000, according to Palestinian authorities.
In May 2024, Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, formally recognised the Palestinian state. This decision led to Israel recalling its ambassadors from Ireland, Norway and Spain.
In October 2024, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, announced plans to pass the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade between Ireland and illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. This statement follows an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July that said states are under “an obligation to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel” in the territories.
In November, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that Irish authorities would detain Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu if he travelled to Ireland, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former minister for defence Yoav Gallant.
On December 11th, Mr Martin announced that Ireland would intervene in South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel under the Genocide Convention. In particular, Mr Martin said Ireland would make submissions that the ICJ should broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide by a state.
How long has Israel had an embassy in Ireland?
The Israeli embassy in Dublin was officially opened in 1996.
What’s happening to the embassy building?
The Israeli embassy has not confirmed how soon it will shut down, but the building it leases in Ballsbridge, Dublin could be sold after receivers were appointed in November to certain assets in an Irish real-estate fund.
Was money a factor in the closure?
The Israel embassy did not respond to questions regarding whether the Dublin closure was linked to funding cuts or rising costs. However, in September, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said that to finance Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, he planned broad spending reductions of about nine billion euro in 2025.
In the same statement in which Israel announced that it was closing its Dublin embassy it announced plans to open an embassy in Moldova in 2025, which suggests that the Irish closure may be linked with redistributing diplomatic resources to more friendly countries.
What is the history of the embassy?
For many years Ireland was the only EU country not to have an Israeli embassy, and diplomatic relations were carried out through the Israeli embassy in London and the Irish embassy in Athens. As minister for finance in 1992, Bertie Ahern opposed the opening of the embassy due to the high cost of providing security for the diplomatic mission. While minister for industry and commerce Des O’Malley said he believed there were “compelling arguments” for not allowing an Israeli embassy in Ireland to open and a real prospect of losing markets in Arab countries and Iran if it did. The Irish government ultimately agreed to allow an Israeli embassy in Ireland in December 1993, on the same day the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was invited to open an office in Dublin.
Will Ireland retaliate over this?
Mr Martin said that Ireland will not shut down its embassy in Tel Aviv, which he says is “carrying out important work”.
What are practical implications for Israelis in Ireland?
Israel has not announced which embassy will be responsible for Israeli citizens in Ireland but it is expected that consular issues will be dealt with by the Israeli embassy in London, as is the practice with many other countries who do not have embassies in Ireland.
What are the implications for Irish-Israel relations?
It is possible that Israel could rescind permission for the Irish embassy in Tel Aviv, or for the Irish representative office to Palestine, which could affect the delivery of Irish aid and consular services in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as in Israel. Ireland’s EU member status is, however, viewed as acting as a deterrent against such a move, as unilaterally shutting down the embassy of an EU state may trigger a response from the EU, Israel’s biggest trade partner.
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