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Dana Erlich (born 23 August 1980) is an Israeli diplomat who succeeded Lironne Bar-Sade as Israeli ambassador to Ireland in August 2023. [1] On 22 May 2024, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, recalled Israel's Ambassador to Ireland following the recognition of the state of Palestine by the Irish government.[2] On 15 December 2024, the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin following the Irish government's decision to support South Africa's genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.[3]
H.E. Ms Dana Erlich | |
|---|---|
| Israeli Ambassador to Ireland | |
| In office August 2023 – December 2024 | |
| President | Isaac Herzog |
| Preceded by | Lironne Bar-Sade |
| Succeeded by | Embassy closed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 August 1980 |
| Alma mater | Tel Aviv University |
Erlich is a native Israeli of Argentinian origin, and is a graduate in political communication from Tel Aviv University. She joined the Foreign Service in 2010 and before her appointment as Ambassador to Ireland she was Minister Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Israel, London.[4] She has also served in Costa Rica, the United States and as Israeli Representative of the UN Disarmament Fellowship Programme to the United Nations.[5]
Erlich presented her credentials to President Michael D. Higgins at a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin on 20 September 2023.[6] She has since been critical of President Higgins' comments on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, accusing him of "repeating misinformation".[7] In response to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's criticism of the "collective punishment" of Palestinians living in Gaza during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war she defended Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in Gaza and said that Hamas is ultimately responsible for what is happening.[8]
On 15 November 2023 a Social Democrats motion proposing the expulsion of Ambassador Erlich was defeated in Dáil Éireann following a government counter-motion.[9]
In February 2024, Catherine Connolly, Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann accused Erlich of "propagating utter propaganda" on Irish radio and called for her to appear before the Dáil to account for her statements.[10]
In March 2024, the Garda Síochána opened an investigation into death threats against Erlich following the delivery of a package containing white powder to the Israeli Embassy in Dublin which was accompanied by graphic images of Israelis killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and a written threat to Erlich. The powder was later discovered to be sugar.[11]
On 11 April 2024, in an opinion piece for the Irish Times, Erlich reported that her invitation to attend the Fine Gael Ard Fheis had been withdrawn linking this to what she described as a "contagion" of anti-Israel sentiment. She also characterised anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland as anti-semitic and questioned Ireland's neutrality. She said that Ireland's plans to recognise the State of Palestine were akin to "rewarding terrorism".[12]
The following day she claimed Israel was being discriminated against by Ireland following an announcement by Fianna Fáil that they would not be inviting the Israeli or Russian ambassadors to their Ard Fheis.[13] Meanwhile, Micheál Martin described her comments about the recognition of Palestine as "absurd and unacceptable".[14]
In May 2024, Erlich responded to the deselection of Social Democrats local election candidate, Orli Degani, a Germany-born Jew with Israeli citizenship, saying that she "appears to have been discriminated against because of her nationality".[15] She described Delgani as one of a "growing number" of Jewish and Israeli people in Ireland who feel increasingly targeted by an atmosphere of anti-Israeli sentiment. The statement was rejected by Social Democrats leader, Holly Cairns, who described the claims as "scurrilous and false" and an attempt to deflect from the "bigger, and much more important issue of the more than 34,000 people now killed in Gaza by the Israeli Government".[16] Cairns later confirmed that the reason for Delgani's deselection was because her position on Gaza differed from that of the party.[17]
Following the announcement of the recognition of the State of Palestine by the Irish government in May 2024, Israel recalled its Ambassador "for consultations".[18] Erlich described the recognition as a "prize for terrorism", noting that Hamas had welcomed the announcement as a result of the "brave resistance" of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[19] In a subsequent interview for the Irish Times Erlich said that there would be "a review of bilateral relations" between Israel and Ireland.[20]
On 25 May 2024, in an interview with the Irish Examiner President Higgins accused Ambassador Erlich of "encouraging fear" among the Jewish community in Ireland and denounced her claims of growing anti-semitism in Ireland as "grossly irresponsible" describing it as a "PR exercise by an administration that is guilty of continuing breaches of international law".[21]
On 7 September 2024 it was reported that Erlich would not be returning to Ireland until "relations between the two states improve substantially".[22] On 16 September 2024, the Irish Independent published an opinion piece by Erlich to mark the first anniversary of her appointment as Ambassador. In it she reiterates her view that anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland is anti-semitic and makes several claims of an anti-Israel bias in Irish politics and media.[23]
In an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post on 23 September 2024, Alan Shatter, a former Irish government minister and prominent member of the Irish Jewish community, called on Minister Katz to reverse the decision to recall Erlich, describing her withdrawal as an "act of crass stupidity".[24]
On the first anniversary of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Erlich was interviewed on Irish radio station Newstalk and spoke about what she sees as the rise in anti-semitism in Ireland, claiming that "Jewish people in Ireland are afraid to speak in Hebrew or to show any physical manifestations of their identity because of a fear of retaliation". She claimed that the media in Ireland is helping to spread "baseless accusations" against Israel.[25] Erlich also accused UNICEF of failing to call for the release of Israeli hostages. This was refuted by UNICEF Ireland executive director, Peter Power, later that week on the same show when he read out statements made by UNICEF condemning both the abduction of hostages, as well as the attacks made on Israel by Hamas.[26]
In October 2024, Erlich described the Occupied Territories Bill proposing to ban trade between Ireland and illegal Israeli settlements occupying Palestinian territory as "a discriminatory attempt that aims to target Israel" and an "attack on the Jewish people’s legitimacy to a secure state in their ancestral homeland".[27]
In December 2024, Israel announced that it would close its embassy in Dublin due to what it described as "the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government". This decision came a week after the Irish government decided to formally intervene in South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa alleges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a claim that Israel vehemently denies.[28] Erlich said that the decision was taken due to a "hostile atmosphere [against Israel] in Ireland, fostered by the Irish government".[29]
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