A ray of hope for Israel's relations with Europe
Dr. Zion Evrony, Israel's ambassador to Ireland, visited the town of Carrickmacross and signed the town's distinguished guest book. The town's councilors voted to remove the page in which Dr. Evrony's signature appeared. Now, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin has taken the town council to task for its actions. Irish minister Micheal Martin said the council was guilty of "disrespect".
The minister, who has just returned from a trip to Gaza, said he shared concerns about parts of Israel's track record but that he disagreed with the decision to remove Dr Zion Evrony's name from the book.
He added: "It is a basic principle of relations between states that we treat each other's diplomatic representatives with civility and respect, regardless of any policy differences."
Nevertheless, local Sinn Fein councillor Matt Carthy, who tabled the motion, said he hoped the removal of the page would send a serious message to the Israeli government.
He added: "I think if a government is responsible for a wholesale disregard for international law, then local authorities as well as our own government have a responsibility to tell them we expect a higher standard.
"Carrickmacross is a very welcoming town but it was important that we took a stand."
Mr Carthy, who took part in a protest during Ambassador Evrony's visit to the market town in January, said the decision was not a snub to all Israelis.
"Certainly any Israeli individual who wanted to visit Carrickmacross is very welcome to visit, but this was an official visit which meant our council was associated with it," he said.
In any event, Martin's actions give some hope for Israel's relations with Ireland. Hopefully there are other cooler heads around in Europe.
Israel Matzav: A ray of hope for Israel's relations with Europe
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