DEAR Editor,

The Israeli Embassy is not the Jewish Embassy, it is the embassy of a state that is committing genocide.

Jews for Palestine – Ireland welcomes the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin. 

We call on the Irish government to take meaningful action to sanction Israel, a hostile government that has killed over 45,000 people in Gaza, has attacked UNIFIL peacekeepers and is now bombing Syria while the world looks on.

“It is hard to believe that the Irish government would wish to keep the Irish embassy in Israel. Having signed onto South Africa’s ICJ case, the government has no reason to maintain diplomatic relations with the state of Israel, a state that Ireland accepts is committing genocide,” said Dr David Landy of Jews for Palestine.

We refute the assertion by the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, that the Irish government’s support for South Africa’s ICJ case and recognition of a Palestinian state are “antisemitic”.

Some Irish Jews – those who support Israel and its apartheid policies – are against the closure of the Israeli embassy. Other Irish Jews are frankly delighted. Jews have never been so divided on Israel, and statements that have appeared in the media, such as "the Jewish community is against the closure of the Israeli embassy", are wholly incorrect. Such statements work to conflate Israel and Jews, and feed into a false and antisemitic narrative.

Dr David Landy stated: “The Israeli embassy is not the Jewish embassy. It is the embassy of a state committing genocide.”  

Sue Pentel of Jews for Palestine Ireland stated: “We oppose the cynical use of Jewish identity, history and the holocaust to justify the rogue state that Israel has become.”

The Israeli government is on a killing spree with airstrikes across Gaza bombing schools, tents and hospitals. It is bombing Syria and Lebanon with impunity and seizing Syrian territory. The only way to break that impunity is concerted international action and the imposition of sanctions.

We demand action not words from the Irish government. 

Stop the Central Bank financing genocide by selling Israeli war bonds, stop all trade with companies complicit in the illegal occupation and stop Irish airspace being used by military warplanes carrying weapons to Israel.

Never Again is for Everyone

Never Again is Now.

Sue Pentel
David Landy
Jews for Palestine-Ireland