Israel's Foreign Ministry will close its embassy in Ireland because of its anti-Israel policies

Israel will close its embassy in Ireland because of its anti-Israeli policy. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on December 15.

" The anti-Semitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland takes against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards," The Times of Israel quoted him as saying.

According to the diplomat, Ireland has overstepped all acceptable boundaries in its relations with Israel.

Saar noted that the Israeli authorities intend to strengthen ties with states that are friendly to Israel, but do not yet have an embassy in the country.

The Foreign Minister also announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in Moldova.

Norway, Ireland and Spain announced on May 22 that they would recognize Palestinian independence, with their decisions to take effect on May 28. Prime Minister Simon Harris emphasized that he expects the same step from other countries.

Against the background of these actions, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz instructed to recall the ambassadors to Ireland and Norway for consultations. Later, the same decision was taken on the ambassador to Spain, and the heads of the diplomatic departments of the three European countries in Tel Aviv were summoned to the Jewish state's Foreign Ministry, where they were given a demarche. Germany, France, the Netherlands and Hungary, for their part, decided not to recognize Palestine.

On May 23, Palestinian Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Observer to the UN in Vienna Salah Abdel Shafi said that each new recognition of Palestine by other countries brings it closer to the fulfillment of the two-state solution. At the same time, Shafi noted that Palestinian sovereignty is not recognized by a number of EU countries, so the road to the implementation of this idea is still long.

In addition, May 28, the Palestinian ambassador to Russia said that Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Slovenia may also soon recognize the independence of the state.

Palestine as a state is recognized by more than 140 of 193 UN member states, including Russia and China. In October 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has always favored the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. At the time, he noted that the emergence of an independent Palestine would create conditions for lasting peace. According to him, there are contradictions within the Palestinian society, so it is necessary to strive for unity.

The aggravation in the Middle East began on October 7, when Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, as well as invaded border areas in the south of the country and took hostages. On the same day, the Israeli side began retaliatory strikes.

The Palestinians seek to return the borders between the two countries to the lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. Palestine wants to establish its state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and make East Jerusalem its capital. Israel refuses these conditions.