Taoiseach Simon Harris has strongly rejected charges of anti-Semitism by Israel’s foreign minister as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
It comes as the Government here confirmed that the US Chamber of Commerce has raised concerns with it about the Occupied Territories Bill, likely to be brought before the Dáil next year.
Mr Harris on Monday night pushed back against Israeli charges of anti-Semitism, with Government Buildings describing them as “personalised and false attacks”, and saying that the Taoiseach “remains focused on the horrific war crimes being perpetrated in Gaza, standing up for human rights and international law, and reflecting the views of so many people across Ireland who are so concerned at the loss of innocent civilian lives”.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar had earlier described the Taoiseach as “Ireland’s anti-Semitic prime minister Simon Harris” while defending Israel’s decision to close its embassy in Dublin in protest at what it described as the anti-Israel policies of the Irish Government.
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But a senior Government source said that the attack on Mr Harris, and the move to close the Israeli embassy in Dublin, were part of a strategy to distract attention from growing criticism of Israel’s actions in the week of an EU summit, as well as the corruption trial of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The latest exchanges come as the Department of Enterprise confirmed the US Chamber of Commerce, the largest business group in the US, raised the Occupied Territories Bill during talks with the Government in Dublin last week.
A spokeswoman for the department said that a delegation from the Washington-based lobbying group “raised the Occupied Territories Bill, and Minister (for Enterprise Peter) Burke and his officials noted same”.
There has been speculation that Ireland’s stance on the Gaza war may prompt potential economic headwinds for the State, with many US multinationals invested here supportive of Israel.
Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, said on Monday that if the legislation was enacted no US companies would be able to operate in Ireland.
Earlier Mr Harris responded to the Israeli decision to close its embassy in Dublin, saying what was truly reprehensible was the scale of the killing in Gaza, and the treatment of its entire population by the Israel Defense Forces.
“You know what I think is reprehensible? Killing children, I think that’s reprehensible. You know what I think is reprehensible? Seeing the scale of civilian deaths that we’ve seen in Gaza. You know what I think is reprehensible? People being left to starve and humanitarian aid not flowing.
“Ireland will continue to do what Ireland always does when it comes to foreign policy, stand up for human rights, stand up for international law. There’s nothing hostile about that. In fact I think the people of Ireland would be rather shocked if Ireland’s foreign policy wasn’t founded on the principles of supporting international law, supporting the work of international courts and supporting human rights,” he said.
“We condemn all attacks on Israel. We say Israel has a right to live in peace and security, and a right to defend itself. You can say all of those things and still say the next thing, which is that what the Netanyahu government is doing to innocent civilians in Gaza and in the West Bank is utterly despicable and should be condemned by all.”
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