Dana Erlich is an Israeli diplomat and has been the Israeli ambassador to Ireland since August 2023, when she succeeded Lironne Bar-Sade.^[1]

Erlich presented her credentials to President Michael D. Higgins at a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin on 20 September 2023.^[2] She has since been critical of President Higgins' comments on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, accusing him of "repeating misinformation".^[3] In response to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's criticism of the "collective punishment" of Palestinians living in Gaza during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war she defended Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in Gaza and said that Hamas is ultimately responsible for what is happening.^[4]

On 15 November 2023 a Social Democrats’ motion proposing the expulsion of Ambassador Erlich was defeated in Dáil Éireann following a government counter-motion.^[5]

In February 2024, Catherine Connolly, Leas Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann accused Erlich of "propagating utter propaganda" on Irish radio and called for her to appear before the Dáil to account for her statements.^[6]

In March 2024, An Garda Síochána opened an investigation into death threats against Erlich following the delivery of a package containing white powder to the Israeli Embassy in Dublin which was accompanied by graphic images of Israelis killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and a written threat to Erlich. The powder was later discovered to be sugar.^[7]

On 11 April 2024, in an opinion piece for the Irish Times, Erlich reported that her invitation to attend the Fine Gael Ard Fheis had been withdrawn linking this to what she described as a "contagion" of anti-Israel sentiment. She also characterised anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland as anti-semitic and questioned Ireland's neutrality. She said that Ireland's plans to recognise the State of Palestine were akin to "rewarding terrorism".^[8]

The following day she claimed Israel was being discriminated against by Ireland following an announcement by Fianna Fáil that they would not be inviting the Israeli or Russian ambassadors to their Ard Fheis.^[9] Meanwhile, Micheál Martin described her comments about the recognition of Palestine as "absurd and unacceptable".^[10]

Erlich is a native Israeli of Argentinian origin, and is a graduate in Political Communication from Tel Aviv University. She joined the Foreign Service in 2010 and her previous posting was as Minister Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Israel, London.^[11] She has also served in Costa Rica, the United States and as Israeli Representative of the UN Disarmament Fellowship Programme to the United Nations.^[12]