Speaking for the first time on the matter of President Higgin’s letter to the new Iranian head of state, and his subsequent claim in New York that it was circulated by the Israeli embassy in Dublin, the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich told The Irish Catholic that the President’s claims were a “baseless accusation”. “The recent media coverage regarding the President of Ireland’s baseless accusation is a distraction from the real issues which are the lack of understanding of the existential threat that Israel faces from state and non-state actors such as Iran and its proxies – in particular Hezbollah and Hamas – Iran’s call for the destruction of Israel, its funding and support for terrorism and its human rights violations.”
The Ambassador said she was sharing her frustration with Irish media and political circles in Ireland.
“During the past months many accusations have been levelled against Israel, which have crossed the line into vilification, incitement and libels. There are even arguments against Israel’s right of self-defence. These accusations have promoted an inhospitable environment for the Jewish and Israeli communities in Ireland, causing many among them to express significant concerns.”
She added: “There is no understanding or empathy for the daily attacks and threat Israelis are under, the thousands of missiles that are fired indiscriminately towards civilians, the trauma that we are all experiencing, and the concerns for our future.
Sadly, these issues receive little attention in Irish media and political circles and have evoked almost no vocal criticism or condemnation in Ireland.”