DaysofPal– The Dublin City Council is set to vote on Monday on a proposal to remove the name of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog from a public park in the Rathgar district, a move that has sparked strong criticism from the Israeli occupation amid rising pro-Palestine sentiment in Ireland.
The park was named after Herzog in 1995 in recognition of his Irish roots; he was born in Belfast and spent part of his childhood in Dublin while his father served as Ireland’s chief rabbi.
Earlier this week, the council’s Naming Committee approved the removal of Herzog’s name and referred the decision to the full council for formal adoption.
If endorsed, the committee would then be tasked with selecting an alternative name and returning it to the council for final approval.
The proposal calls for deleting Herzog’s name and launching consultations to choose a new one. In June 2024, some residents suggested renaming the park after Hind Rajab, the Palestinian child killed along with six members of her family during an Israeli attack on 29 January 2024. Dublin City Council member Conor Reddy said more than 2,700 people have already expressed support for naming it “Hind Rajab Park.”
However, Dublin’s 2017 naming regulations stipulate that commemorative names must honor individuals who died more than 20 years ago or were born over a century ago, criteria that render Rajab ineligible.
Other proposed names include “Free Palestine Park,” “Gaza Park,” and simply “Palestine Park.”
The initiative has angered Israeli officials. A spokesperson for current Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Chaim Herzog’s son, condemned the proposed removal as “shameful and disgraceful,” arguing that the original 1995 designation honored both Herzog’s legacy and what was once a “friendship between the Irish and Jewish peoples.”
The statement added that relations have significantly deteriorated in recent years.
The vote comes amid continued demonstrations across Ireland in solidarity with Gaza and growing public pressure on local institutions to take symbolic actions supporting Palestinian rights.
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