DUBLIN — A controversial proposal to rename a Dublin park honoring former Israeli President Chaim Herzog was abruptly pulled from the city council's agenda Sunday night following an international outcry and accusations of antisemitism. Dublin City Council Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare announced the withdrawal, citing an "administrative oversight" and incorrect statutory procedure, averting a vote scheduled for Monday. The move came after intense pressure from the Irish government, Israeli officials, U.S. politicians, and local Jewish leaders who condemned the renaming as an attack on Ireland's Jewish heritage.

The park in the south Dublin suburb of Rathgar was named in 1995 for Chaim Herzog, a Belfast-born, Dublin-raised figure who served as Israel's sixth president from 1983 to 1993. His father, Rabbi Isaac HaLevi Herzog, was the first chief rabbi of the Irish Free State. The proposal, initiated by the council's Commemorations and Naming Committee in July, sought to remove the Herzog name and launch a public consultation for a new one, with one suggestion being to rename it for Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.

A Political Firestorm Ignites

The planned vote quickly escalated from a local issue to an international incident over the weekend. The office of current Israeli President Isaac Herzog—Chaim's son—led the charge, calling the proposal "shameful and disgraceful" and warning it would harm the "historical connection between the Irish and Jewish peoples". It praised Chaim Herzog not only as a leader but as a World War II hero who fought against the Nazis and dedicated his life to "the fight against antisemitism".

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar declared that "Dublin has become the capital of antisemitism in the world," while former Israeli ambassador Michael Herzog, another son, lamented Ireland's transformation into "the scene of raging antisemitism". The criticism extended across the Atlantic, where U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham labeled modern Ireland "a cesspool of antisemitism," and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the plan "an incredible insult".

Irish Government and Jewish Community Unite in Opposition

In a rare moment of political unity, Ireland's national government forcefully opposed the city council's motion. Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin stated the proposal would "erase the distinctive and rich contribution" of Jewish communities to Ireland and would "without any doubt, be seen as antisemitic". He demanded it be "withdrawn in its entirety".

Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris called the plan "offensive," while Foreign Minister Helen McEntee drew a sharp distinction between policy and heritage. "The Government has been openly critical of the policies and actions of the government of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, and rightly so," McEntee stated. "Renaming a Dublin park in this way - to remove the name of an Irish Jewish man - has nothing to do with this".

Ireland's small Jewish community, estimated at about 3,000 people, expressed profound alarm. Maurice Cohen, chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said the move was "already perceived by our community as a gross act of anti-Semitism" and an attempt "to erase our Irish Jewish history". Chief Rabbi of Ireland Yoni Wieder said removing the name would "erase a central piece of Irish-Jewish history".

Proponents Frame Renaming as Political Solidarity

Councillors behind the renaming effort argued it was a legitimate act of solidarity with Palestinians and a rejection of honoring figures linked to Israel's military history. People Before Profit Councillor Conor Reddy, a key proponent, argued that critics were "conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism". He stated that Chaim Herzog was "centrally involved in the original ethnic cleansing of Palestine" and that renaming the park was "about refusing to honour a key figure in a violent colonial project".

Independent Councillor Cieran Perry said the move was a "gesture in support of the people of Palestine" and "an opportunity... to highlight the ongoing genocide in Gaza". He cited Herzog's early involvement with the Haganah Jewish paramilitary force and his later role in the Israel Defense Forces. The initial motion was raised on procedural grounds by Labour Councillor Fiona Connelly, who questioned whether the park's original naming followed correct protocols.

Administrative Flaw Halts Vote, But Tensions Remain

The immediate crisis was defused not by a political change of heart, but by an administrative technicality. Chief Executive Shakespeare explained that the legal process for renaming a public place requires a public consultation and a secret ballot of qualified electors, but the regulations for that ballot are not yet in place. He stated the report to councillors "does not take account of the correct statutory procedure".

Shakespeare apologized for the "administrative oversight" and recommended the matter be sent back to committee. Councillor Reddy, however, contested this, asserting on social media that the vote was "pulled from the agenda after bad faith smears" and "there was nothing wrong with the procedure".

The episode leaves underlying tensions fully exposed. It occurs against a backdrop of severely strained Ireland-Israel relations; Israel closed its embassy in Dublin in 2024, citing Ireland's "extreme anti-Israel policies". Ireland has been one of Europe's most vocal critics of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, recognizes a Palestinian state, and supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

While the park's name remains unchanged for now, the fierce debate reveals a deep conflict over history, identity, and political expression in Ireland. It underscores the challenge of distinguishing criticism of the Israeli state from acts perceived as targeting Jewish people and their heritage, a line that many fear is being dangerously blurred.