The Green Post Ireland
A growing dispute has emerged in Dublin over a proposal to remove the name of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog from a public park in Rathgar, prompting criticism from Irish officials, Jewish community leaders, and Israel’s president Isaac Herzog. Dublin city councillors are set to vote Monday on whether to rename Herzog Park, which has carried Chaim Herzog’s name since 1995.
The recommendation to remove the name originated last July from the council’s Commemorations and Naming Committee, which concluded that the original naming process did not follow established procedures. One committee member objected, but the motion was still forwarded to the full council along with a commitment to hold a community consultation to determine a new name.
Chaim Herzog, born in Belfast in 1918 and raised in Dublin, served as Israel’s sixth president from 1983 to 1993. He was also the son of Ireland’s first chief rabbi, Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, whose legacy remains an important part of Ireland’s Jewish history.
Israeli and Irish leaders warn of potential harm to Irish–Jewish relations
In a statement on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed “concern,” calling the potential removal “shameful and disgraceful.” His office cited the historic ties between the Herzog family and Ireland, noting that naming the park three decades ago celebrated a period of warm relations between the Irish and Jewish communities — ties they say have weakened in recent years.
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee urged councillors to reject the motion, arguing that Chaim Herzog’s legacy should not be conflated with opposition to Israeli government policy. She stressed that while the Irish government has been critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, erasing the name of “an Irish Jewish man” from a public space does not reflect Ireland’s values of inclusivity.
Tánaiste Simon Harris echoed that sentiment, calling the proposal “wrong” and urging party leaders to oppose it.
Jewish organizations also voiced alarm. The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland warned the removal would be interpreted as an attempt to erase Irish Jewish history, while Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder said it would “send a painful message of isolation” to the already small community.
Supporters of the motion cite Gaza war and Herzog’s military past
Those backing the renaming argue it is an opportunity to highlight what they describe as Israel’s “genocidal” actions in Gaza. Independent councillor Cieran Perry, one of the first to propose the name’s removal, said the gesture was intended as a stand “on behalf of the people of Palestine.”
Perry referenced Chaim Herzog’s service with the pre-state Haganah, his later role in the IDF, and his outspoken support for Zionism as reasons the park should no longer bear his name. He also argued that Chaim Herzog’s legacy is inseparable from the policies of Israel today, including those implemented under his son, current President Isaac Herzog.
Perry insisted the proposal was not anti-Semitic and emphasized that community consultation — including Jewish residents — would guide the selection of any new name. He argued that equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism “muddies the waters” and harms efforts to combat genuine anti-Jewish hatred.
Calls for political neutrality in public spaces
Other councillors raised broader concerns about the politicization of public spaces. Green Party councillor Carolyn Moore argued that parks should remain politically neutral and that it would be unthinkable for the council to name a park after a foreign president under current global circumstances.
Moore also stressed that Rathgar’s Jewish heritage is well-documented in local place names and should be acknowledged in any future renaming process, which she said must include meaningful participation from the Jewish community.
Independent councillor Mannix Flynn, another supporter of removing the name, framed the proposal as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinians.
