Antisemitism's Ugly Face
Ireland Decides to Rename Dublin’s Herzog Park “Free Palestine”
A symbolic bond between Ireland and Israel is shaken as Dublin moves to strip President Chaim Herzog’s name from a city park and replace it with “Free Palestine.”
Israel’s President’s Office sharply criticized Dublin’s decision to remove the name of Israel’s sixth president, Chaim Herzog, from a city park and rename it “Free Palestine,” calling the move a “regrettable and disgraceful step.”
The response came after Ireland’s capital advanced the initiative, which has sparked diplomatic tensions. In a statement carried by political correspondent Amichai Stein, the President’s Office said it was following the developments “with concern,” warning that the decision undermines the historical bond between the Irish public and the Jewish people.
“Beyond being an Israeli leader, Chaim Herzog was a hero of the campaign to liberate Europe from the Nazis and a figure who devoted his life to the values of freedom, tolerance, and the pursuit of peace,” the statement noted. Herzog’s father, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, served as the first Chief Rabbi of the Irish Free State and left “a significant mark on the Irish nation.”
The park was named in Herzog’s honor roughly three decades ago, symbolizing Ireland’s appreciation for his legacy and the longstanding friendship between the Irish and Jewish peoples, a relationship that Israeli officials say has deteriorated in recent years.
In 2024,a pro-Hamas campaign was established in 2024 to remove Herzog's name from the park due objections to the existence of Israel. It proposed to rename the park after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl from the Gaza Strip who was killed by Israeli forces during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.
“If the removal of Herzog’s name indeed proceeds, it will be a sad and shameful act,” the President’s Office said, adding that it expects the legacy of “a man who stood at the forefront of the fight against antisemitism and tyranny” to continue receiving due respect.
The controversy comes amid growing diplomatic friction between Israel and Ireland, whose government has taken increasingly critical positions on Israel’s policies in recent years.