Ireland Elects a Hamas Apologist as its New President

Ireland has decisively elected socialist Catherine Connolly as its new President winning nearly two-thirds of the vote.

Last month, Connolly raised eyebrows when she said that Hamas was "part of the fabric of the Palestinian people" and that it wasn't up to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to say whether Hamas should have no role in governing the Palestinian people. Connolly stated, “The Palestinians must decide, in a democratic way, who they want to lead their country.”

Although Connolly subsequently condemned the October 7th attacks, she could not unequivocally declare Hamas a terrorist organization. When asked if she considered Hamas a terrorist organization, Connolly only said that Israel has also been described as a terrorist state. She has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide.

It is interesting that Connolly describes Hamas as "part of the fabric of the Palestinian people." I am old enough to remember when leftists of her generation would tell me the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Indeed, there are those who claim Israel created Hamas. While Connolly might not subscribe to that particular view, she has gone on record to say that the October 7th attacks are "not comparable" to so-called Israeli genocide. Yet what is the Hamas Charter other than a blueprint for genocide against Israel?

It is all well and good for Connolly to say that the Palestinians should decide in a democratic way who should lead their country. However, this is an unrealistic proposition so long as Hamas sees fit to execute its political opponents in the streets. Mind you, this is something Connolly has not seen fit to condemn. And need I remind anyone that the nearly 90-year-old Mahmoud Abbas is in the 20th year of his four-year term as President of the Palestinian Authority?

As abhorrent and appalling as I find Connolly's views, it comes as no surprise she was elected so decisively. Her views on Israel reflect that of many in Ireland who vociferously support the Palestinians while seeing a surge of anti-Semitic incidents across the country. I strongly suspect this surge of anti-Semitism will only continue to flourish in Ireland under Connolly's presidency.