Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin has issued a forceful condemnation of Dublin City Council’s proposal to remove the Herzog name from a public park, calling the motion “overtly divisive and wrong” and demanding its immediate withdrawal. The controversial proposal has drawn international concern from Israel’s presidential office and sparked a unified response from Ireland’s highest government officials.
The park in question, located in Dublin’s Rathgar area, was named in 1995 to honor Chaim Herzog, the Belfast-born sixth president of Israel who spent his formative years in Dublin. The current Israeli President Isaac Herzog, son of the late statesman, has expressed serious concern about the potential renaming, characterizing such action as “shameful and disgraceful” in an official statement released on social media platform X.
Prime Minister Martin emphasized that the proposal represents a denial of Ireland’s complex history and would unequivocally be perceived as anti-Semitic. “Our Irish Jewish community’s contribution to our country’s evolution in its many forms should always be cherished and generously acknowledged,” Martin stated, referencing the Jewish community’s participation in both the Irish War of Independence and the establishment of the emerging Irish State.
The political backlash has been swift and comprehensive. Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris declared his complete opposition, asserting that “We are an inclusive republic” and that the proposal violates this fundamental principle. Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan similarly condemned the motion, with O’Callaghan noting that renaming the park because of current Middle East conflicts “unfairly suggests Irish Jews are responsible for the appalling actions of the current Israeli Government.”
The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland has described the move as “deeply concerning,” with Chair Maurice Cohen urging councillors to reject what he characterized as “an attempt to erase our Irish Jewish history.”
The controversy emerges against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between Ireland and Israel, including last year’s closure of Israel’s Dublin embassy following accusations of “extreme anti-Israel policies” by the Irish government. This historical context includes the 2014 removal of a blue plaque marking Herzog’s Belfast birthplace after repeated vandalism and security concerns.
Council members Fiona Connelly (Labour Party) and Conor Reddy (People Before Profit) initially raised questions about the naming procedures in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively. The council’s Commemorations and Naming Committee had previously recommended the name removal in July with only one objection.
The park’s namesake, Chaim Herzog, was born in Belfast in 1918 and eventually emigrated to Israel, where he served as ambassador to the United Nations and president from 1983 to 1993. His father, Rabbi Isaac HaLevi Herzog, served as the first chief rabbi of the Irish Free State, establishing a deep historical connection between the Herzog family and Irish society.