A motion before the Dublin City Council to rename Herzog Park, commemorating Israel’s sixth president and the father of Israel’s current president, has drawn backlash, with Israeli officials and some community leaders denouncing the proposal as “antisemitic.”
Newsweek has reached out to the proposal’s author, Kourtney Kenny, for comment via email after hours.
Why It Matters
Ireland’s relations with Israel have grown increasingly strained since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023, with Irish leaders among the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Thousands have protested Israel’s ongoing war in various demonstrations over the past couple of years, including a Saturday march in Dublin to commemorate the United Nations recognized International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Israel announced in December 2024 that it was closing its embassy in Dublin, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar citing what he called the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Chaim Herzog, who went on to serve as the sixth president of Israel, was born in Belfast and spent his early years in Dublin. His family shared deep ties to Ireland, with his father having served as the country’s chief rabbi. His son, Isaac Herzog, serves as Israel’s current president.
What To Know
Dublin city councilors are expected to vote on whether or not to drop Herzog’s name from a local park, following a December 2024 motion from Sinn Féin councilor Kourtney Kenny.
Kenny writes in her proposal that the initial naming of Herzog violated the council’s commemorative naming policy, which states that “Proposals to commemorate living persons will not be considered. Nominees will have to have died at least 20 years previously or have passed the centenary of their birth whichever is earlier.” The park was named in 1995, two years before Herzog died.
In addition to dropping Herzog’s name, Kenny’s proposal seeks to rename the park after Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed while trying to flee Gaza City. The proposal stated, “The Herzog family has been complicit in the oppression, displacement, murder, and genocide inflicted on the Palestinian people since before the 1948 Nakba to the present genocide in Gaza.”
According to Dublin City Council notes, a July committee meeting considered the renaming question, which found that the “[Commemorations and Naming] Committee agreed, with one objection, that the name ‘Herzog’ should be removed from the park.”
If the Council approves the motion, the name will be removed, and the consultation process will be drawn up to determine a new name.
The proposal has sparked backlash, particularly from Israeli officials and various allies, including some U.S. officials.
The Office of the President of Israel wrote on X on the matter on Sunday: “Removing the Herzog name, if it happens, would be a shameful and disgraceful move. We hope that the legacy of a figure at the forefront of establishing the relations between Israel and Ireland, and the fight against antisemitism and tyranny, will still get the respect it deserves today.”
Sa’ar called out the Irish capital at large, writing, “Dublin has become the capital of antisemitism in the world.” He added that while the park’s name could be removed, “what cannot be removed is the disgrace of the Irish antisemitic and anti-Israeli obsession.”
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, said in a statement, “The [Irish] Government has been openly critical of the policies and actions of the government of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, and rightly so,” continuing that, “Renaming a Dublin park in this way – to remove the name of an Irish Jewish man – has nothing to do with this and has no place in our inclusive republic. In my view this name change should not proceed and I urge Dublin City Councillors to vote against it.”
However, some politicians and local advocates back the change, such as Fianna Fáil councilor Rory Hogan, who said, according to The Irish Times, he is “supportive of a name change” adding that “the name change would reflect how awful the genocide is of the Palestinian people. The current name is not appropriate.”
Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin and Fianna Fáil councilor John Stephens said per The Irish Times it’s “only right that there should be an open and transparent discussion” about the park’s renaming.
In addition, groups like “Irish Sport for Palestine, 1815 F.C. and 1916 Societies” are backing the name change, according to a petition on Change.org.
What People Are Saying
Former Israeli ambassador to the United States and son of Chaim Herzog, Michael Herzog, said in an X post on Saturday: “…Chaim Herzog, my late father, grew up in Dublin and fought the Nazis in WW2 as an officer in the British Army. His father, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, was the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland and a strong supporter of Irish Nationalism. So painful to see how Ireland, once home to a proud, thriving Jewish community, has become the scene of raging antisemitism. Ireland is now one of the most virulent anti-Israel countries in Europe, blurring the line between criticizing Israeli policies and questioning Israel’s right to exist. It is high time that Jewish organizations in the U.S. and around the world sound a loud and clear voice in denouncing this shame and clarifying its consequences. Have we not learnt anything from history?
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an X post on Saturday: “What an incredible insult to the Herzog family whose roots are deep in Ireland. Let’s hope decent Irish people stop this madness!”
Fianna Fail Party member William Kelleher said in an X post Saturday: “This is wrong. Isaac Herzog had nothing to do with the brutal treatment of the Palestinian people. He was a proud Irish-born Jew. I’m calling on the @fiannafailparty DCC Councillors to vote against.”
Irish Minister of State Thomas Byrne said in an X post Saturday: “I totally disagree with the proposal to rename Herzog Park in Rathgar. Chaim Herzog, born and raised in Dublin and Belfast, went on to become the President of Israel, one of the most influential Irish-born leaders on the world stage ever, and a huge source of pride for the Irish Jewish community and for Ireland. His story is an Irish story. I call on Dublin City Council not to proceed with their proposal.”
What Happens Next?
The proposal will be put to a council vote on Monday.
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