Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Ireland
Ireland: its Jewish community, recognition of Palestine, the closure of the Israeli embassy and the settlement goods ban
The Jewish community of the Republic of Ireland numbers about 2,700, according to the World Jewish Congress (WJC), most of it in Dublin.[1] Ireland's relations with "Israel" deteriorated sharply during the Gaza war: Ireland recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024,[2] "Israel" closed its embassy in Dublin in December 2024,[3] Ireland intervened in South Africa v. Israel at the International Court of Justice in January 2025,[4] and in July 2026 it enacted a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements.[5]
Zionist movement
- Main article: Zionist movement, Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and is covered under Zionist movement, Northern Ireland and Zionist movement UK.
Jewish community
The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, the WJC's affiliate, works out of Dublin and represents the community to the government, the media and other faith groups. Dublin has two synagogues: the Orthodox Dublin Hebrew Congregation in Terenure, led by Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder, and the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation in Rathmines.[1] Past chief rabbis of Ireland include Isaac Herzog, later Chief Rabbi of Mandate Palestine and of "Israel", Immanuel Jakobovits, and Ephraim Mirvis (1985–1992), now Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom.[1]
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
The WJC records a Chabad centre in Rathmines, Dublin.[1]
History
According to the WJC, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog was Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1921 to 1936 before becoming Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Mandate Palestine and later of "Israel"; his son Chaim Herzog emigrated to Palestine with the family in 1936 and became the sixth President of "Israel". Their former home in Dublin is a Jewish heritage site. The WJC also notes Robert Briscoe, a Jewish member of the Irish Republican Army in the independence struggle.[1]
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy
The Israeli foreign ministry's 2011 list of missions records relations with Ireland as established in January 1975, with "Israel" represented by its embassy in Dublin.[6] Until its closure the Israeli embassy was at Carrisbrook House, 122 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.[1]
Recognition of Palestine
On 28 May 2024 the Irish government formally recognised the State of Palestine, in a step coordinated with Spain and Norway, and announced that Ireland's representative office in Ramallah would become an embassy.[2]
Closure of the Israeli embassy
On 15 December 2024 Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa`ar announced that the embassy in Dublin would close, citing what he called the Irish government's "extreme anti-Israel policies" and saying that "Ireland has crossed every red line"; the Guardian linked the decision to Ireland's support for South Africa's genocide case at the ICJ.[3] Taoiseach Simon Harris called the decision "deeply regrettable" and said that Ireland was "pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law".[7] Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that Ireland had no plans to close its own embassy in "Israel" and that the closure would not change Irish policy on Gaza.[8]
ICJ intervention
On 6 January 2025 Ireland filed a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute in South Africa's case against "Israel" under the Genocide Convention, setting out its interpretation of Articles I to III of the Convention.[4]
Occupied Territories Bill
A ban on trade with Israeli settlements was first proposed by Senator Frances Black in 2018 in a bill that covered both goods and services. The government's Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 covers goods only.[9] President Catherine Connolly signed it into law on 23 July 2026,[5] as Act No. 35 of 2026; it was commenced on 15 September 2026 by S.I. No. 471 of 2026.[10]
Trade
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that "Israel" imported goods worth $2,436.7 million from Ireland in 2025 (2024: $2,229.5 million) and exported goods worth $1,539.6 million to it (2024: $3,242.6 million).[11]
Arms
According to SIPRI, Ireland ordered two Israeli EL/M-2022A(V)3 maritime surveillance radars in 2019 for its two C-295MPA patrol aircraft; they were delivered in 2023.[12]
Political interference
UN voting
Ireland voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[13]
Ehud Barak emails
The following items come from the two leaked mailboxes of the former Israeli prime minister and defence minister Ehud Barak (ehbarak1@gmail.com and ehud.barak@hyperion-eb.com, 2007–2016). They were hacked and leaked by Handala, a group that Distributed Denial of Secrets describes as "believed to have ties to Iranian intelligence", and were published by Distributed Denial of Secrets in August 2025. The emails carry no cryptographic signatures, and Distributed Denial of Secrets warns that material from such hack-and-leak operations may have been altered.[14]
- In January 2016 Barak arranged for the German businesswoman Nicole Junkermann to join his investment partnership Sum (EB) 2015 LP, a vehicle for his stake in the Israeli emergency-reporting start-up Reporty Homeland Security (later Carbyne). Alan Merriman of Elkstone Capital International Services Ltd, 124 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, Junkermann's family office, wrote on 4 January that he understood "Nicole and you are agreed on her participating for $0.5m based on last valuation round".[15] On 29 January Barak's lawyer Tomer Toor reported that "Southern/Jeffery have signed their agreement with the partnership" and that "Nicole/Alan" had appointed an Israeli lawyer; Barak replied "Ok. Keep pressing".[16] The emails do not identify "Jeffery".
Jeffrey Epstein
Documents released by the US Department of Justice in the Jeffrey Epstein files include the following.
- On 4 January 2016 Barak wrote to Merriman, copying Junkermann: "Happy New Year to you and Elkstone. Looking forward for this joint project", adding that his lawyer would call and that "later you both could talk to Darren the layer [sic] of JE to coordinat[e] everything".[17]
- On 5 January 2016 Barak forwarded the minutes of a Reporty Homeland Security board meeting to Junkermann and Merriman, copying Jeffrey Epstein: "FYI. Moving forward very well."[18]
See also
- Zionist movement, Republic of Ireland
- Zionist movement, Northern Ireland
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Belgium
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to the Netherlands
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 World Jewish Congress, Community in Ireland worldjewishcongress.org, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Department of the Taoiseach, Ireland recognises the State of Palestine gov.ie, 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Peter Beaumont, Israel to close Dublin embassy after Ireland supports ICJ genocide petition The Guardian, 15 December 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 International Court of Justice, Ireland files a declaration of intervention in the case South Africa v. Israel , press release 2025/1 icj-cij.org, 7 January 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Government's Occupied Territories Bill signed into law by President The Irish Times, 23 July 2026, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ Israel to close its embassy in Dublin RTÉ News, 15 December 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Israel embassy closure will not change Irish policy on Gaza, Government states The Irish Times, 16 December 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Houses of the Oireachtas, Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 oireachtas.ie, 2026, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Irish Statute Book, Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Act 2026 (No. 35 of 2026) irishstatutebook.ie, 2026, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).
- ↑ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database SIPRI, trade register for Israel as supplier, 1950–2025, data generated 20 October 2026.
- ↑ United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).
- ↑ Distributed Denial of Secrets, Ehud Barak emails, 27 August 2025, with download at data.ddosecrets.org, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Email from Alan Merriman to Ehud Barak, "Re: Reporty", 4 January 2016, file
ehbarak1@gmail.com/Inbox!4/1 (85).html, Ehud Barak emails, Distributed Denial of Secrets, released 27 August 2025 (hacked and leaked by the Handala group), accessed 25 October 2026. - ↑ Emails between Tomer Toor and Ehud Barak, "Sum (EB) 2015 - Limited Partnership - Investment Agreement", 29 January 2016, file
ehbarak1@gmail.com/Inbox!2/1 (387).html, Ehud Barak emails, Distributed Denial of Secrets, released 27 August 2025 (hacked and leaked by the Handala group), accessed 25 October 2026. - ↑ Email from Ehud Barak to Alan Merriman, "Re: Reporty", 4 January 2016, EFTA02363141, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 11, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Email from Ehud Barak to Nicole Junkermann and Alan Merriman, cc Jeffrey Epstein, "Fwd: Board meeting protocol - Reporty Homeland Security", 5 January 2016, EFTA02676269, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 11, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 25 October 2026.