The name of the sixth President of the State of Israel, the late Chaim Herzog, who was commemorated in the park next to the only Jewish elementary and high school in Ireland, is set to be erased.
At a meeting held on November 24, the Dublin City Council's Naming Committee decided to erase the memory of one of the greatest sons of the Jewish community in Ireland.
This is against the backdrop of a Palestinian campaign on the subject that has been held in the city in recent months, in which the municipality was called upon to change the name of the park to "Hind Rajab Park," after a Palestinian girl who was killed in the war in Gaza.
The alternative proposal for the park's name is: "Free Palestine Park.".
Ireland's former Justice Minister, the Jew Alan Shatter, wrote: "Dublin City Council has now become completely Nazi. Some councillors are determined to make Dublin a hostile and inhospitable place for the Jewish community and for Jewish children who attend their school in the city.".
He called on the council to "reject this blatantly anti-Semitic committee decision. The government should also intervene and oppose what is being proposed.".
Rachel Moisel, an Irish Jewish network influencer, wrote: "Ireland is an institutionally antisemitic country. To deny this in the face of such overwhelming evidence is pure stupidity.".
The Council of Irish Jews responded: "This sends a hurtful and isolating message to a small minority community that has contributed to Ireland for centuries. We call on Dublin City Council members to reject this proposal. Removing the Herzog name from this park will be widely understood as an attempt to erase our Irish Jewish history.".
, President Herzog's office said: "We are following with concern the reports from Ireland regarding the intention to harm the legacy of the sixth President of the State of Israel, the late Chaim Herzog, and the symbols that express the historical connection between the Irish public and the Jewish people.
""Beyond being an Israeli leader, the late Chaim Herzog was one of the heroes of the campaign to liberate Europe from the Nazis, and a personality who dedicated her life to establishing the values of freedom, tolerance and the pursuit of peace. His father, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, served as the first Chief Rabbi of a free Ireland, and left a significant mark on the life of the Irish nation. Naming the park after him about three decades ago expressed appreciation for his legacy and the deep friendship between the Irish and Jewish people, which unfortunately has deteriorated in recent years.".
""The erasure of the late Herzog's name, if it does come to pass, would be a regrettable and shameful step. We expect that the legacy of someone who stood at the forefront of the struggle against anti-Semitism and tyranny will receive the respect it deserves even today.".
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded: "There is no more precise and justified decision than my decision to close our embassy in Dublin, shortly after I took office as Foreign Minister. Dublin has become the capital of anti-Semitism in the world. The Irish anti-Semitic and anti-Israel obsession is sickening. Dublin City Council has decided to remove the name of Chaim Herzog - the sixth president of the State of Israel, who grew up in Dublin and whose father was the Chief Rabbi of Ireland - from the name of a park in the city. What cannot be removed is the disgrace of the Irish anti-Semitic and anti-Israel obsession.".
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