Israel-Hamas war in Gaza: Jews in Republic of Ireland increasingly concerned by 'anti-Israel narrative which has become extremely hateful and full of disinformation and distortions' says chief rabbi

And Chief Rabbi of Ireland Yoni Wieder also said that some Jewish children in the Republic are now hiding their religious identity for fear of their safety.

He was speaking after Israel announced on Sunday that it was closing its embassy in Dublin, after months of escalating tension between the two states.

Hamas says Israel has killed 44,000 people in Gaza after it killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages on October 7 2023.

The Republic angered Israel in May when it gave formal recognition to a Palestinian state within the borders of Israel.

The final straw for Israel came last week when the Republic called on the International Court of Justice to relax the legal definition of genocide in order to convict Israel of genocide in Gaza – noting that it was not guilty under the current definition.

Mr Wieder told the News Letter that Israel-Ireland relations have been deteriorating over the past 15 months.

There are some 2,500 Jewish people in the Republic, including several hundred Israelis.

He said: “Since the start of the war, Ireland has vilified and delegitimised Israel, and has failed to recognise the complexities of this heartbreaking conflict.

“Irish political leaders have not engaged constructively with Israel, and their anti-Israel stances and sentiments have gone beyond those of other European countries.

“The anti-Israel narrative in Ireland has become extremely hateful and is full of disinformation and distortions. And it’s only getting worse.”

He added: “Over the past 15 months, we’ve had instances of graffiti saying 'Kill Jews' or depicting swastikas.

“Several school children have told me they feel afraid because they are Jewish, or that they avoid talking about being Jewish in front of their non-Jewish peers.

"The embassy closure will be a particular blow for Israeli individuals and families living in Ireland. In recent years, many Israelis have taken out Irish citizenship, and the Israeli community has contributed so much to both the local Jewish community and to wider Irish society.”

Irish President Michael D Higgins said today it was “deep slander” to accuse the Irish people of being anti-semitic.