Proposal to rename Herzog Park is 'denial of our history', says Taoiseach

Picture: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

The proposal to rename Herzog Park should be withdrawn, the Taoiseach has said.

This comes as Dublin city councillors are due to vote on a motion this Monday to rename Herzog Park in Rathgar, which was named after Belfast-born Chaim Herzog in 1995 who spent part of his childhood in Dublin.

There was only one objection made when members of the council's Commemorations and Naming Committee last July recommended to the full council the removal of the name from the Rathgar park. 

According to Micheál Martin, the proposal to rename the park should be withdrawn.

"The proposal would erase the distinctive and rich contribution to Irish life of the Jewish communities over many decades, including actual participation in the Irish War of Independence and the emerging State," Mr Martin said in a statement this Sunday.

"The proposal is a denial of our history and will without any doubt be seen as antisemitic.

"It is overtly divisive and wrong. Our Irish Jewish communities’ contribution to our country’s evolution in its many forms should always be cherished and generously acknowledged.

"This motion must be withdrawn, and I ask all on Dublin City Council to seriously reflect on the implications of this move."

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee urged councillors to vote against the motion.

"The Government has been openly critical of the policies and actions of the government of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, and rightly so," Ms McEntee said in a statement.

"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."

On X, Simon Harris supported the view on Ms McEntee.

The Tánaiste said: "I completely oppose plans to rename Herzog Park. It is wrong. We are an inclusive Republic. This proposal is offensive to that principle. I urge all party leaders to join me in opposition to this."

Meanwhile a statement published on X on Saturday evening, the office of current president Isaac Herzog said removing the name would be a "shameful and disgraceful move".

"His father, Rabbi Isaac HaLevi Herzog, served as the first Chief Rabbi of the Irish Free State and left a significant mark on the life of the Irish nation in those days.

"Naming the park after his son some three decades ago expressed appreciation for his legacy and the deep friendship between the Irish and Jewish peoples. Unfortunately, this relationship has deteriorated in recent years, yet we still hope for the recovery of these important ties," read the statement.