Israel '˜shocked' over Dublin mayor visit

Israel's foreign ministry has summoned Ireland's ambassador to express dismay at Dublin's mayor attending an 'anti-Israel' event.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Apr 2018, 20:15 BST

Updated 12th Apr 2018, 20:21 BST

The ministry said in a statement that Israel expresses its “deep disappointment and shock” over the incident.

It said the event in the Palestinian city of Ramallah was “explicitly” against Israel and occurred as Israel commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day. Israel expects a “public and formal” response from Ireland, it said.

Micheal Mac Donncha – a Sinn Fein councillor who was editor of An Phoblacht from 1990 to 1996 – participated in an Islamic conference about Jerusalem in Ramallah organised by the religious affairs adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The fate of the holy city is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Councillor Mac Donncha is a supporter of the boycott movement targeting Israel.

Israel had tried to block him entering via its airports; however, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that this failed because the authorities misspelled his name.