Sonya McGuinness
Ms Sonya McGuinness | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Irish Ambassador to Israel | |
| Assumed office November 2022 | |
| President | Michael D Higgins |
| Preceded by | Kyle O'Sullivan |
| Irish Ambassador to Turkey[n 1] | |
| In office August 2019 – November 2022 | |
| President | Michael D Higgins |
| Preceded by | Brendan Ward[1] |
| Succeeded by | John McCullagh[2] |
Sonya McGuinness is an Irish diplomat who succeeded Kyle O'Sullivan as Irish ambassador to Israel in November 2022.[3] She presented her credentials to President Isaac Herzog in September 2023.[4] McGuinness previously served as Irish ambassador to Turkey from 2019.[5]
Career
[edit]Ambassador to Israel
[edit]In November 2023, McGuinness was summoned to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs following comments by then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar about the safe return of 9-year old Irish-Israeli girl, Emily Hand, who had been kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and held hostage.[6] In May 2024, she was again summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the ambassadors of Spain and Norway, where she was reprimanded over Ireland's decision to recognise the State of Palestine. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, criticised the reprimand as "totally unacceptable".[7]
In December 2024, McGuinness responded to the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin, rejecting the accusation that Ireland is anti-Israel and antisemitic, and describing the depiction of Irish policy in Israel as "cartoonish".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.ab.gov.tr/deputy-minister-of-foreign-affairs-and-director-for-eu-affairs-ambassador-faruk-kaymakci-met-with-brendan-ward-irish-amb_51754_en.html
- ^ "Government approves the nomination of 19 Ambassadorial appointments". 22 November 2022.
- ^ "IeExplains: Who is the Irish Ambassador to Israel and why is she in the news?". 27 November 2023.
- ^ "President Herzog receives diplomatic credentials of new ambassadors to Israel from Côte d'Ivoire, Peru, Cyprus, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Brazil". Archived from the original on 16 November 2023.
- ^ "Embassy History | Embassy of Ireland, Türkiye | Ireland.ie | Ireland.ie".
- ^ "Irish ambassador summoned to Israeli ministry over Varadkar 'lost' comment about Emily Hand". The Irish Times.
- ^ "The Israeli reprimand of the Irish ambassador is 'totally unacceptable', Tánaiste says". 24 May 2024.
- ^ McGuinness, Sonya. "Ireland is not 'anti-Israel.' Criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza is not antisemitism | Opinion".
Notes
[edit]- ^ At the time, the Irish Ambassador to Turkey was also accredited to Azerbaijan, Iran and Pakistan