Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says Ireland has “no plans to expel any ambassador” amid Israeli-Hamas war

In the Dáil yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated Ireland will not be expelling any ambassadors in Israel or Palestine amid the current crisis. The response came to calls by People Before Profit (PBP) for Ireland to cut communications with Israel and to expel Ambassador Dana Erlich following controversial comments made by the diplomat.

During Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday, PBP TD Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach, “How many innocent Palestinian civilians does Israel have to slaughter” before Ireland makes the decision to cut ties with the Israeli ambassador to Ireland.

Varadkar responded, “We have no plans to expel any ambassador.” He emphasised that the nation needs a line of communication to talk to Israel during the Israeli-Hamas war, even if Ireland does not stand with the Israeli government. He said that Ireland will always act multilaterally regarding sanctions, and that individual ones “are not effective.”

“We didn’t expel the Russian ambassador,” he pointed out, “And I don’t think there’s anyone in this house that has been as supportive of Ukraine’s battle for freedom as I have, but we took a very particular view that it’s important to have some line of communications open and that’s why we have ambassadors.

“If you expel an ambassador or close an embassy, the only line of communication is minister to minister or Sec Gen to Sec Gen, and that’s if you can even get a phone call.”

He drove his point home, saying, “We have citizens in Palestine, we have citizens in Israel, we have citizens in Russia, it’s important that we’re able to keep those lines of communication open. It serves nothing to close them.

“Even countries at war with each other have ambassadors, for obvious reasons.”

Meanwhile, yesterday during Dublin’s Global Ireland Summit, Tánaiste Micheál Martin further made comments regarding the Israeli-Hamas war, stating that rules and systems are currently being “severely” tested. He stood in line with Varadkar, stating that partnerships, communication and the “adherence to existing rules and agreements” are the only solutions to current global challenges, including the Israel-Palestine crisis.

The minister added that while Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas, it still must remain within the law – that the violence afflicted on innocent Palestinians in response to Hamas’ attack is not the solution, nor justified.

Taoiseach Varadkar and Minister Martin’s responses on Tuesday come amid concern raised by opposition TDs over comments made by Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, about President Michael D Higgins’ statements on the Israel-Hamas war.

Erlich stated that President Higgins was spreading “misinformation,” and that his comments were “inflammatory.”

The ambassador’s statement is in relation to a comment made by President Higgins last week, during which he said, “To actually announce in advance that you’re going to break international law and announce it again and again, and do so on an innocent population. I think that it really reduces all that code that was there from the second World War through the Geneva conventions about the protection of civilians...it reduces it to tatters.”

Over the weekend, Erlich spoke of Higgins’ statement with the Sunday Independent, saying, “And this is misinformation. Because announcing beforehand – that is not breaking, that is in accordance with international law.

“We want to make sure that there are as few civilian casualties as possible. And I think we all have responsibility, especially at this time.” She also alluded to Ireland not being a “neutral” country in relation to Israel-Palestine.

She added, “What he said is legally wrong. And that is my frustration. Because people will listen when the President says it.”

A spokesman for the President has responded to both Erlich and calls from opposition TDs, stating, “The President has expressed his revulsion at the killing of civilians, called for the immediate release of all hostages taken and has been clear that we must be absolutely unequivocal about anti-Semitic expression.”

People Before Profit has written to the Ceann Comhairle to request time be made in the Dáil later this week for a necessary debate regarding the actions of the Israeli embassy.