Israel’s new ambassador to Ireland, Yoav Biran, presented his credentials to President Patrick Hillery here Tuesday, mindful of the fact that the Irish Republic may play a crucial role in Middle East diplomacy in the coming year.
Israel has been handicapped by not having a resident ambassador in Ireland. Biran, who is also ambassador to Britain, works out of the Israeli Embassy in London.
Apart from Luxembourg, Ireland is the only member of the European Community whose Israeli ambassador has dual accreditation.
Israeli diplomats hope his visit here will improve chances that an embassy will soon be opened in Dublin.
Ireland will assume the six-month rotating chairmanship of the E.C. Council of Ministers on Jan. 1, which will put it in a position to guide E.C. policy in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Irish foreign minister is already one of the E.C.’s “troika” of ministers assigned to deal with that problem.
Irish policy has leaned heavily toward the Palestinians. The Republic has long advocated a Palestinian state.
The Palestine Liberation Organization maintains an office in Dublin, which has been behind anti-Israel propaganda.
Biran also had talks with Irish politicians and attended the usual round of dinners and receptions, one of them given in his honor by the 2,000-strong Jewish community of Dublin.
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