Ireland, with its diplomats known for their hospitality and amenable nature, has fallen out so badly with Israel that the situation has prompted the latter to close its Dublin embassy. But that should not be entirely unexpected.
While among the smallest of the EU countries, Ireland has been outspoken in its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, with the latest figures showing more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, claimed 1,200 lives.
As the bloodshed has continued, that voice has grown increasingly bitter, with Foreign Minister Micheal Martin ditching diplomatic niceties for a more direct approach, saying on Monday that Israel’s actions had gone “beyond any moral compass".
Gideon Saar, Israel’s right-wing foreign minister, has also resorted to more direct language, condemning the “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government".
Why, then, have the amiable Irish got to the point of diplomatic collapse that has seen relations plummet to such a chill?
Domineering neighbours
The pressure has been building not only since Israel’s actions after the Hamas-led attacks, but pretty much since Israel became a state in 1948.
Much of that is based on Ireland’s experience as a country that lived for centuries under the rule of the British, which was at times brutal and bloody, including long memories of the mid-19th century Irish Famine in which an estimated one million died.
That has led Irish Republic to have a “unique and historical” position on “calling out human rights from our background of being downtrodden and submissive and kept in that position for so long", said Tommy Hannon, a Fianna Fail local party chairman in Galway.
“Where you also have powerful, domineering neighbour denying your existence and dominating you,” Mr Hannon added.
That has led Ireland to argue for fundamental human rights principles as “a core plank of its foreign policy", said Michael Becker, professor of international human rights law at Trinity College Dublin.
“Irish people have long felt a certain affinity to other groups who are oppressed or have suffered under some form of colonial domination,” he told The National.
Street influence
But the background to the decision is possibly more nuanced, particularly in the backdrop of Irish politics and the growing influence of the pro-Palestinian lobby.
Alan Shatter, a former Irish justice and defence minister, who is of Jewish heritage, told The National that the Irish government has been “influenced” by street politics in taking an anti-Israeli position.
He decried Ireland’s relative slowness in condemning the Hamas attacks then made the point that the government has since given the cold shoulder to Israeli diplomats while embracing those from Iran.
Mr Shatter, a former Fine Gael politician who was a minister from 2011-2014, pointed to the political party conference this year in which the Iranian representative was invited yet the Israeli ambassador was shunned.
The position taken by Ireland’s centrist parties had largely been influenced by the pro-Palestinian protests seen around the world, he said, but were given greater importance due to general election held last month with the threat that Sinn Fein would become the dominant party.
IRA and PLO
That brings forward a different analysis of the Irish stance on Israel. Sinn Fein, which was the political wing of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, a designated terrorist group that in the 1970s developed strong links to Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organisation.
During the Northern Ireland “Troubles”, Palestinian flags and murals of Mr Arafat were also prominent in pro-Sinn Fein areas, particularly Belfast.
There was, according to Mr Shatter, a strong influence by Sinn Fein along with pro-Palestinian pressure groups, in organising the anti-Israeli protests that influenced the Irish government.
This in part explains why in May, Dublin joined Norway and Spain in recognising a Palestinian state, which resulted in Israel recalling its ambassador.
The final straw for Mr Saar was Ireland’s decision to join the South African lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice, where Israel stands accused of genocide in Gaza.
Then before last month’s elections, Ireland’s leader Taoiseach Simon Harris said the country would enforce the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered the country.
Bad for business
Prof Becker said that Ireland had consistently taken a “very strong position seeking to hold Israel accountable” for what many in the international community “see as unlawful actions by Israel”.
It had for decades also been a critic of Israel’s illegal settlement policy, particularly in the occupied West Bank. “To the extent that this criticism is unwelcome in Tel Aviv, it’s not something new,” he said.
Indeed there has long been disquiet over the Israeli embassy in Dublin, either over security costs to protect it or, as one minister stated, “compelling arguments” for not allowing it to open over fears of losing markets in Arab countries and Iran. The PLO was also invited to open an office in Dublin.
And as a further apparent slight to Israeli, the Irish government also reopened its Tehran embassy in October just days after Iran bombarded Israel with more than 180 rockets.
Prof Yossi Mekelberg, of the Chatham House think tank, called the Dublin embassy closure “a big mistake” for Israel's government, not just in Ireland but internationally.
“They can argue and disagree with Ireland, but not close the embassy; that's not the way to conduct diplomacy with friendly countries,” he told The National. “If you have disagreements, you can call in the Irish ambassador in Israel and give him a dressing down.”
Closing the embassy was an “overreaction” that would only further isolate Israel diplomatically, he added.
The argument is also made by others that the Israelis have fallen out with the Irish rather than the other way around, with the suggestion that even constructive criticism of the country is construed as anti-Semitic.
Decisions in anger
The question that remains now, is that is there any hope of reconciliation?
Mr Shatter suggested that the Dublin closure could represent a precedent in which demonstrations are made across Europe to close others.
He also decried making decisions about international diplomacy “based on rage and anger”, saying it was a “fundamental error” to withdraw the Israeli ambassador in May.
“It was a politically stupid decision and it was a surrender to the haters of Israel. It was also convenient for the Irish government because they were running their obsessive, unbalanced critique of Israel,” he said.
Mr Shatter warned that the closure of the embassy will be seen as “enormous victory” by anti-Israeli parties.
“They are all interacting with groups across Europe, including the UK, who see this as a precedent for what could be achieved if they ratchet up further their campaigns in London and Paris and elsewhere, hoping the Israeli government, in a fit of pique, ends up closing other embassies,” he said.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
Sour%20Grapes
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The 15 players selected
Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
