Councillors stand over Herzog Park renaming despite Lord Mayor apology
Dublin councillors are standing over their plans to rename Herzog Park, following Lord Mayor Ray McAdam’s apology for “administrative failures” surrounding the renaming of the amenity.
In a statement issued today, 10 Dublin city councillors – eight Independents and two from People Before Profit – said the apology “should not be used to rewrite the substance of the issue”.
“The flawed process is one matter, the political principle is another,” they wrote.
"We continue to believe that Herzog’s name should be removed from this park, and that Dublin’s place names should reflect the democratic values, anti-racist traditions and international solidarity of the people of this city.”
It is signed by councillors Conor Reddy, Cieran Perry, Nial Ring, Mannix Flynn, Vincent Jackson, Pat Dunne, John Lyons, Christy Burke, Kevin Breen and Hazel De Nortúin.
The park is named after former Israeli president Chaim Herzog, who was born in Belfast but spent his early childhood in Dublin.
His son, Isaac Herzog, is the current president of Israel.
The 10 elected members said they were standing over the renaming of the south Dublin park and “reject absolutely all attempts to smear anti-racist councillors, campaigners, and members of the public as anti-Semitic”.
“Public spaces in our city should not commemorate people associated with the violent dispossession and slaughter of Palestinians and the building and defence of the Zionist state. That is a political and moral judgement, not a religious prejudice,” they wrote.
The members said “hurtful and scurrilous” accusations had been made against councillors and campaigners that had “trivialised real anti-Semitism”.
"Real anti-Semitism exists, and it must be challenged head-on wherever it appears, particularly where it comes from the far right and from racist conspiracy politics,” they wrote.
It follows an apology from Mr McAdam earlier this month in which he acknowledged “the concern and upset caused to members of Dublin’s Jewish community … arising from the flawed process and administrative failures surrounding the proposed renaming of Herzog Park”.
“It is right that an apology is clearly extended here to the Jewish community of Dublin and to all those affected by this controversy,” he said.
The proposal, originating from the council’s Commemorations and Naming Committee last year, was withdrawn following last-minute advice that a gap in the relevant law exists, meaning the renaming cannot legally proceed.
It is understood the committee is awaiting clarity from Government on the timeline of legislation that would plug this gap before tabling the proposal for a second time.