Israel's ambassador to Dublin warned on Monday that the crisis in bilateral relations over Ireland's plans to recognise a Palestinian state is sending the wrong message about Ireland as a technology hub and unnerving Israeli investors in Ireland's IT services sector.
Speaking in Jerusalem where she held consultations with the Foreign Office after being recalled in protest, Ambassador Dana Elrich expressed a desire to rejoin Ireland, despite seeing the Irish government as siding with the Palestinians against Israel.
Ireland is due to formally recognise the country on Tuesday, along with Spain and Norway. The United States and other European countries have backed restarting negotiations to resolve the dispute first.
Israel, which is fighting a devastating Gaza war and linked fighting on other fronts following an Oct. 7 border riot by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, condemned the move by Ireland, Spain and Norway as “reward for terrorism”.
Elrich said all aspects of Israeli-Irish relations were under review, but refrained from predicting further action by the government amid its ongoing dispute with Madrid. Demonstrators show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2023. (Photo by REUTERS/CLODAGH KILCOYNE)
“Ireland is very supportive of the Palestinians so we are not a neutral or honest mediator in this case, but what we would say is now is not the time to make such an announcement,” Elrich told Reuters in an interview.
Reviving stalled peace talks
The Irish government says recognition of a Palestinian state could revive stalled peace talks and benefit Israel.
Many Irish people have sympathy for Israel “behind the scenes,” Elrich said, but “I think there's a lot of potential in the relationship, whether it's on cybersecurity, healthcare or climate change, and I hope we'll be given the opportunity to continue that.”
But she said an atmosphere of public hostility that some Jews see as anti-Semitic has made Israelis question their place in Ireland and posed a threat to high-tech services, which account for most of the roughly $5 billion in annual trade between the two countries.
“We're getting more and more calls and conversations from concerned people, whether that be Israelis who have invested in Ireland and are worried about their investment, or Israelis who have moved to Ireland and worked for various technology companies and are looking to relocate somewhere else or are seeking to return to Israel,” Elrich said.
“I think that the fact that more people are concerned about moving to Ireland sends the wrong message about Ireland's position and centrality as a technology hub. I don't think this is the message Ireland wants to send to the world… and this is not something we want to see.”
The business relationship has already suffered a blow after Israel's national carrier El Al announced on Feb. 5 that it would not renew direct flights to Dublin that it launched last year, citing changing customer demand since the Gaza war.
The Irish government has rejected calls by pro-Palestinian activists for sanctions or an economic boycott of Israel.
However, on April 5, Ireland announced that its €15 billion sovereign investment fund would divest from six Israeli companies, including the country's largest bank, because of their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Gaza war broke out a month after Elrich arrived in Dublin, plunging her into round-the-clock crisis management and relief efforts.
“There are so many similarities between Ireland and Israel that we'd like to know more about, whether it's the revival of ancient languages, the diaspora, or differences in landscape choices,” she said.
“And we hope that we will be given the opportunity to continue to explore Ireland, but now our concerns need to be addressed.”
