US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Saturday denounced the Dublin City Council's proposal to remove the name of Israel’s Sixth President, Chaim Herzog, from a park.
“When you think it couldn’t get any worse in Ireland regarding animosity toward Israel and the Jewish people, it just did,” Graham wrote on social media, adding, “Apparently the Dublin City Council is going to rename a park that was dedicated to Chaim Herzog, who was raised in Dublin and became the 6th president of Israel. Mr. Herzog’s father was also the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland.”
Graham continued, “Some are calling for the park to be renamed Free Palestine Park - whatever that means. In case anyone had forgotten, Israel withdrew from Gaza only to have Hamas take over by force and govern by terror, becoming one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world and the instigator of the October 7, 2023 attacks on the Jewish people.”
“The Herzog family is one of the great families in the history of Israel. They are good people who have traditionally embraced the center politically. One of Mr. Chaim Herzog’s sons is the current president of Israel and another was most recently the Israeli Ambassador to the United States,” he pointed out.
“I don’t know what the people of Dublin are trying to say, but this is what I hear: A complete turning upside down of history when it comes to the Jewish people and the state of Israel.”
“Modern Ireland is a beautiful country with great scenery, but unfortunately it has become a cesspool of antisemitism,” concluded Graham.
President Isaac Herzog, the son of Chaim Herzog, condemned the decision earlier and said that it would harm “the unique expression of the historical connection between the Irish and Jewish peoples."
The decision was also condemned by Ireland's Foreign Minister, Helen McEntee, who wrote, "Herzog Park is named for Chaim Herzog who was born in Belfast and grew up in Dublin. He went on to be President of Israel and his son currently holds that office. His father was Chief Rabbi of Ireland for many years. He is an important figure for many people, particularly for members of Ireland’s Jewish community. I think we should be clear about this."
"The Government has been openly critical of the policies and actions of the government of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, and rightly so," McEntee noted. Still, she insisted the move was misplaced. "Renaming a Dublin park in this way - to remove the name of an Irish Jewish man - has nothing to do with this and has no place in our inclusive republic. In my view this name change should not proceed and I urge Dublin City Councillors to vote against it."
Tensions between Israel and Ireland have been ongoing. In April of 2024, then-Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris failed to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader, resulting in criticism from Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Later, Harris criticized Israel's strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, accusing Israel of a “pattern of flouting international law and disregard for rules of engagement”.
A month later, Ireland joined Spain, Norway, and subsequently Slovenia in officially recognizing a Palestinian state.
In December of 2024, Israel shuttered its embassy in Dublin amid escalating tensions, citing Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its vocal condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
More recently, Ireland elected far-left President Catherine Connolly, inaugurated on November 11, who has labeled Israel a “terrorist state.”