Israel-Hamas war in Gaza: Backlash against Irish President Michael D Higgins for his claims against Israel

Irish President Michael D Higgins made the comments after Israel said it was closing its embassy in Dublin.

Israel took the step on Sunday after the Republic asked the International Court of Justice to relax its definition of genocide so that Israel could be convicted of the crime for its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the embassy closure was due to the “actions, double standards, and anti-semitic rhetoric of the Irish government against Israel”, which he added “are rooted in efforts to delegitimise and demonise he Jewish state”.

But Mr Higgins hit back at a ceremony at his residence in Dublin on Tuesday, where the Palestinian ambassador was appointed – a formality that is part of Ireland recognising Palestinian statehood.

He said: “I think it’s very important to express, as president of Ireland, to say that the Irish people are anti-semitic is a deep slander.”

Mr Higgins went on to say that “it is a very serious business to actually brand a people because in fact they disagree with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, who is in breach of so many bits of international law, and who has breached the sovereignty of three of his neighbours, in relation to Lebanon, Syria, and would like in fact actually to have a settlement into Egypt”.

Irish citizen Daniel O'Dowd, spokesman for Ireland Israel Alliance, described the comments by Mr Higgins as “a just outrageous act by the president of this country”.

He added: “It feels like the forsaking of the Jewish community here by the nominal leader of this country. We look back to a few months ago when he called claims of anti-semitism by the Israeli government a PR exercise. And we think back to when he publicly accused the Israeli embassy in Dublin of leaking a letter to damage him, but it had actually been released by Iran.

“And now this latest farcical rant where he says Israel would like to settle Egypt. It is just baseless conspiracy theories which ultimately are debasing the office of the presidency.”

Mr O'Dowd, who is Jewish, said it was almost expected from Mr Higgins.

“But what I think is so deafening now is the silence from everybody else across the political spectrum.”

Mr Sa'ar also hit back on X.

“Once an anti-semitic liar – always an anti-semitic liar,” he said.

“Ireland's president reached a new low, spewing lies that Israel 'has breached the sovereignty of three of his neighbours, in relation to Lebanon, Syria and would like in fact to have a settlement in Egypt'.

“Let's get the facts straight. From Lebanese territory, Israel's sovereignty was breached for over a year. For no reason and unprovoked, Hezbollah joined Hamas on October 8th and since then fired tens of thousands of missiles, rockets and drones at Israeli citizens and communities. Israel did what any country would – it defended itself against a brutal aggressor.”

On Syria, he said: “While Assad's regime disintegrated, armed groups entered the buffer zone and attacked UNDOF forces, in violation of the Disengagement Agreement from 1974. Israel temporarily entered a few limited points to prevent the threat of radical Islamists against its citizens and communities.

“Israel will not wait for another October 7th on any of its borders.”

With regards to Egypt, Mr Sa’ar added: “Higgins invented the claim that Israel seeks to form settlements there. The facts: in the context of our peace agreement with Egypt – Israel withdrew from a huge area – all of the Sinai desert, and uprooted all of its communities there. This peace agreement has been maintained since 1979.

“And if we are discussing historical truths, let us not forget that Ireland was at best neutral during World War II.

“At that time, the free world was fighting Hitler’s axis while Ireland sat on the side and did nothing.”

Mr Higgins was invited to respond.