Israel has announced that it will close its embassy in Ireland in the coming weeks, citing the Irish government's “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made the announcement on Sunday after recalling Israel's ambassador to Ireland from Dublin. Mr Searle said the Irish government had “crossed all the red lines”, referring to the country's decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The conduct and anti-Semitic rhetoric that Ireland uses against Israel is rooted in the delegitimization and demonization and double standards of the Jewish state,” Mr Searle said.
“Israel will invest resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries around the world, according to priorities that also take into account their attitudes and actions toward Israel,” it added.
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Israel closes its embassy in Ireland. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
According to the BBC, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement that the decision was “deeply disappointing”. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Martin echoed that sentiment in a longer statement.
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“I strongly believe in the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels of communication, and I regret that this decision has been made,” Martin said.
“Ireland's position on the Middle East conflict has always been guided by the principles of international law and the obligation of all states to comply with international humanitarian law,” he added.
Ireland's new Prime Minister Simon Harris is greeted by colleagues and family as he departs from the Dail in Dublin. (Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images)
The announcement comes as Israel considers further attacks against Iran this week. According to an Israeli report on Thursday, The evolving reality of the region Jerusalem and its international allies have warned that Israel would once again threaten Iran's nuclear program, which they see as one of the biggest new threats at a time when tensions between the West and countries such as Russia and Iran continue to worsen. I started considering making it a target.
Under the Biden administration, the United States, along with international partners including the International Atomic Energy Agency, urged not to attack Israel Iran's nuclear facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a statement on television in Israel. (Israel Government Press Office, via AP)
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But last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted: The IDF was hit and degraded. He warned that the retaliatory strikes in late October were part of Iran's nuclear program, but it would not be enough to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons capabilities.
FOX News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
