(Brussels, 29 November 2025) – We stand firmly with the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland in the face of the deeply troubling proposal to remove the name of Herzog Park in Dublin.
This attempt to erase the legacy of President Chaim Herzog, a proud Irishman whose life story is interwoven with Ireland’s own history, is not a neutral or administrative act. It targets one of the few visible markers of Jewish contribution to Irish society and does so at a moment when Jewish communities across Europe are experiencing unprecedented levels of hostility and insecurity.
To single out an Irish-Jewish figure for removal from the public space sends an unmistakably harmful message: that Jewish heritage is conditional, vulnerable and disposable. It risks isolating a small community that has been part of Ireland for generations and undermines the sense of belonging that every minority must be guaranteed.
Chaim Herzog’s legacy is not political symbolism. It embodies the story of a Dublin schoolboy who became President of Israel while carrying Ireland with him throughout his life. His family’s service to Ireland, including his father’s role as Chief Rabbi and his deep friendships with national leaders, is part of the fabric of Irish history.
Public spaces must honour the diversity of a nation’s past, not erase figures whose identity or connections certain groups now object to.
We call on Dublin City Councillors to reject this motion and to send a clear message that Jewish history is Irish history and that attempts to marginalise or diminish it have no place in a democratic society. The EJC will continue to support and stand alongside Ireland’s Jewish community at this critical moment.
