Ireland Removes Israeli President’s Name from Public Park

Dublin City Council has voted to remove the name of Israel’s sixth president, Chaim Herzog, from a public park in the Rathmines district, responding to growing calls from pro-Palestinian groups. Activists urged the council to rename the park either “Free Palestine Park” or “Hind Rajab Park,” after the young girl killed during the Gaza war who became an international symbol of civilian suffering.

The site, known today as Herzog Park, was originally established in 1985 under the name Orwell Quarry Park. It was renamed in 1995 to mark the 3000th anniversary of Jerusalem’s founding and to honor Chaim Herzog, who was born in Belfast, raised in Dublin, and became one of the most prominent figures in Ireland’s Jewish community before later serving as Israel’s president.

The 1995 renaming ceremony was attended by Herzog’s family, including his son Isaac Herzog, who at the time headed the Jewish Agency and is now Israel’s president. Since 2018, the park has continued to bear the Herzog name and is located near Ireland’s only Jewish school.