Zion Evrony's chaotic visit to Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, had all the component parts of an episode of Father Ted.

For the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland to be heckled or 'welcomed' with a protest should perhaps (unfortunately) come as no great surprise.

The idea of ripping a page from the town's visitor book is, however, not only vile but absolutely ridiculous.

No doubt the same scene played out with Father Dougal and Mrs Doyle in the lead roles would be met with critical acclaim and a Bafta.

But this is reality and it's no laughing matter. It is yet another attempt to delegitimize Israel, to blockade the route of an official of the Jewish state. It is a further reflection of the despicable creeping trend infecting parliaments, councils, NGOs and anti-Zionist groups in Britain (and seemingly now Ireland) and further afield.

The rabid protestations of the Sinn Féin councillors are perhaps even more bizarre given the genuinely warm welcome extended to Israel's man in Britain, Ron Prosor, when he visited Belfast last year to meet SF president Gerry Adams.

Sinn Féin councillor Matt Carthy said his town's mayor was a "disgrace" for meeting Dr Evrony and that Carrickmacross did not want any involvement with Israel's "rogue government".

Funny then that last May Mr Adams was grip-and-grinning with Mr Prosor for the cameras and offering to assist conflict resolution in the Middle East using SF's not inconsiderable experience of the road to peace.

The Israeli Embassy in Dublin has asked Mr Adams to condemn his councillors' protest. No doubt he has a few other matters to keep him busy right now, but, in a spare moment, he might like to apologise to Dr Evrony and publicly rebuke these small town uninfluential councillors by reaffirming his own willingness to deal with Israel.