Israel said Sunday it will close its embassy in Ireland as relations deteriorated over the war in Gaza.

The decision to close the embassy came in response to what Israel’s foreign minister has described as Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.” In May, Israel recalled its ambassador to Dublin after Ireland announced, along with Norway, Spain and Slovenia, it would recognize a Palestinian state.

The Irish cabinet last week decided to formally intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

“We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimized,” Ireland’s deputy premier and foreign affairs minister, Micheal Martin, said in a statement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s statement on the embassy closure said that “Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel.”

Ahead of Israel’s announcement, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris had called the decision to close the embassy “deeply regrettable.” He added on X: “I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law.”

HERE IS GIDEON SAAR’S FULL STATEMENT:

Today, I have instructed the closure of Israel’s Embassy in Ireland. The actions, double standards, and antisemitic rhetoric of the Irish government against Israel are rooted in efforts to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state.

The Irish government recognized a “Palestinian state” during attacks on Israel (a move praised by Hamas), attempted to redefine ‘genocide’ in international law to support baseless claims against Israel at the ICJ, backed politically motivated cases at the ICC, promoted anti-Israel measures within the EU, and fostered hostility toward Israel.

Notably, Ireland is one of the few European countries that has not adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and its government has failed to take effective measures to combat the surge of antisemitism within Ireland.

Israel will focus its resources on strengthening bilateral relations with countries worldwide, according to priorities that also take into account the attitudes and actions of these states toward Israel.

(AP)