Comments by the Israeli ambassador accusing President Michael D. Higgins of making misinformation about Israel are not helpful, according to Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney.
Ambassador Dana Erlich made the comments to the Sunday Independent at the weekend.
“What he said is legally wrong. And that is my frustration. Because people will listen when the president says it,” she said.
Responding, former Foreign Affairs Minister Coveney said: “President Michael D. Higgins is somebody who for many years has taken an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“He, like many others in Ireland, is deeply concerned about what is currently unfolding in Gaza.
“I don’t think it’s helpful when an ambassador starts to make pointed comments in relation to our president. I think Michael D. Higgins has reflected the view of many in Ireland.
“The government’s position on this is that we unreservedly condemned the atrocity that Hamas is responsible for in terms of the killing of 1,400 innocent Israelis.
“But we are also deeply concerned about what continues to unfold in terms of human suffering in Gaza. We want a ceasefire, and we want humanitarian aid corridors open, and Ireland will continue to advocate for that at a European level and at a UN level.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik told RTÉ that the Israeli ambassador’s comments regarding the president were a “serious matter." She said her position in Ireland is “under question."
Last week, President Higgins criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for comments she made during a visit to Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack. He said that Ms. von der Leyen was “not speaking for Ireland and she wasn’t speaking for the opinions that they [Taoiseach and Tánaiste] hold.”
Reflecting on the past week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that the EU has become more unified in recent days with regard to its response to the crisis in the Middle East.
“I think over the last week or so we have witnessed the emergence of a more coherent and unified European Union response, and I think that will continue, hopefully today and into the leader’s council at the end of the week,” Martin said.
