TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has commended Ireland’s ambassador to Israel after a video of a heated exchange between the ambassador and the Israeli foreign minister was posted online. 

Gideon Sa’ar shared the video on his social media account where he raised the matter of the renaming Herzog Park in Rathgar.

In the video Sa’ar describes the motion to rename the park, and the Irish Government, as anti-Semitic.

The Irish ambassador, Sonya McGuinness, replied by telling Sa’ar that he was “ill informed”.

“Minister, I’m glad to hear you mention the scourge of anti-Semitism,” McGuinness said.

“But I would’ve thought that it must be carefully managed and not used for political gain,” she added.

“Anti-Semitism is a scourge and must be countered, and therefore don’t you think facts are important?”

Sa’ar replied: “Tell me, please, why it was published on Friday this anti-Semitic proposed decision of the city council of Dublin, and nothing happened until Saturday, when I attacked that? And the President of Israel attacked that?

He went on to state: 

“And then, only then, did your Foreign Minister and your Prime Minister and everyone woke up? Why? Why? Because … there is nothing in your system right now that can protect you from the virus of anti-Semitism, except external pressure and exposing the anti-Semitic nature of the Government of Ireland and other institutions.”

The ambassador repeated that she believed he minister ill-informed. Sa’ar said the Israeli government “will continue to expose you, until you understand that you cannot deceive the world”.

Tanaiste Simon Harris says Ireland’s ambassador to Israel is an incredible public servant that stands up for Ireland’s values.

He says the Irish people absolutely abhor antisemitism, which he acknowledges is on the rise worldwide. pic.twitter.com/yIgEOSIS2V

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) December 3, 2025

‘She speaks up for our values’

Asked by The Journal to comment on the interaction, Tánaiste Simon Harris said Ireland’s ambassador to Israel “is an incredible public servant”.

“She serves this country with distinction. She speaks up for our values, and she’s doing a really good job. And I’m extremely proud of the job that Ambassador McGuinness does. And it’s also important that the ambassador outlines very clearly our values as a people,” he said. 

Harris said the Irish people “absolutely abhor anti-semitism”, but he said it is on the rise.

“It’s on the rise in Ireland. It’s on the rise in Europe. It’s on the rise around the world. And anti-semitism is disgusting and should always be condemned. It’s very different to condemn the actions of an Israeli government that breached international law and brought about a genocide in relation to Palestine. We’re able to very clearly and rightly differentiate,” he said. 

However, he went on to criticise the members of Dublin City Council who wanted to back the motion to rename the park, stating that the matter should never have arised.

Harris said the whole incident has caused “reputational damage” to Ireland.

“I think it was insensitive. I think it was ill-conceived. It now turns out it wasn’t even legal in terms of their own structures, and it caused a huge amount of hurt to our Jewish community. We have a proud Irish-Jewish heritage,” he said.

Local authorities should get back to building houses rather than interfering with the renaming of parks, he told reporters. 

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“I do think the actions of recent days caused international reputational damage. I hope that that international reputational damage was somewhat offset by the swift comments of the Taoiseach, myself, the Minister for Foreign Affairs,” said Harris.

Harris said the renaming of the park was not the position of the government of Ireland. 

“It caused hurt,” said Harris, calling it “performative politics”.

He highlighted that the park is located is very near the only Jewish ethos school in the country.

The Tánaiste said he has met with children from that school who have faced abuse because of their religion.

“The abuse that they have encountered is despicable,” he said.

He said the Irish government deplores the actions of the Israeli government when it comes to Palestine, but Irish people should be proud of our Irish-Jewish heritage in this country.

“I think those who proposed this got it just badly wrong, but they don’t speak for Ireland. You know, it’s their view. They’re entitled to have it. It’s not the view of the country,” he said.