Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Thursday held a meeting with dozens of influencers, public opinion leaders, advocacy organizations, and other experts, discussing with them changes required in Israeli public diplomacy.
At the meeting, Minister Sa'ar discussed his decision to close the Israeli embassy in Ireland, saying, "The closure of the embassy in Ireland was not a whim, but the result of careful consideration and a specific approach. I received professional advice from the Ministry's staff that supported the decision to close it, but of course, the decision was mine, and the responsibility is mine."
Sa'ar added that the decision was based on an assessment of the relationship between the two countries.
"When we considered whether there was any expectation of a change in Ireland's attitude toward us, or what benefits we would derive from maintaining the embassy, we understood that there was no justified reason to keep it. It was a waste of limited resources in the wrong place. This was an outdated approach that needed to be updated," he stated.
He also noted the sharp reactions by official Irish sources, including absurd lies about Israel. "You saw all the lies even in the response of their President. It's simply astonishing. He could have chosen to attack us with claims that are harder to refute, but instead, he made up absurd things like 'they are trying to establish settlements in Egypt.'"
In Sa’ar’s view, the closure of the embassy exposed Ireland’s true face to the international community. "We put them in the antisemitic corner where they truly belong. You can see the pressure in their responses."
The minister emphasized the importance of directing resources to countries that are friendly to Israel. "There are many friendly countries in the world where we do not have an embassy, and they are urging us to open diplomatic missions there. That's why I decided to open an embassy in Moldova, and it will happen very soon."