Former Israeli diplomat: Gideon Saar made "right call" in closing down Ireland embassy

Naor Gilon, a former ambassador to India, Italy, and the Netherlands, posted on X today (Sunday) that he supports Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's decision to close down the embassy in Ireland, calling it "the right call."

Gilon said that already back in 2011, when he served as Deputy Director-General for European Affairs for the Foreign Ministry, he recommended shutting the embassy down since there was no real dialogue with Ireland, only "one-sided Israel bashing."

Gilon said that "better invest our limited resources where a real dialogue exists."

Professor Emanuel Navon, a French-born political scientist at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies who focuses on European-Israel ties said on X that Minister Saar's decision to close down the embassy sends "the right message."

According to Navon, "Israel will not waste its resources on insignificant and hostile countries that are stuck in bygone political myths. Israel shall strengthen its relations with European countries that matter and that are reliable NATO allies."