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Why is Ireland PM facing wrath over post on released Hamas hostage Emily Hand?
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's statement about the release of a 9-year-old hostage has sparked global outrage
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has sparked global outrage with his seemingly callous reference to the nine-year-old Hamas hostage as ‘an innocent child who was lost and has now been found.’
In a post on social media, Varadkar welcomed the release of nine-year-old Israeli Irish hostage Emily Hand, “This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.”
The post which failed to mention that Emily was captured by terrorists and released in a prisoner exchange after being held hostage for 50 days in Gaza attracted a lot of wrath by the netizens. It was viewed by a whopping 42million users and attracted 22k comments, following which Varadkar had to switch off the replies.
“Is Leo Varadkar the most tone-deaf politician in the Western world?He calls a 9-year-old girl kidnapped by Hamas “lost” - the day after he reserved his hatred not for the psychopath who stabbed children in Dublin, but the protesters who rose up. What planet is he on?,” stated an X user.
“Leo Varadkar's recent tweet shocked the Jewish community and damaged Ireland's reputation. But it also once again put a spotlight on how some European leaders who have no role or influence in the Mideast are positioning themselves”, commented another X user.
Even Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote directly to Varadkar on X, “It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!” He later summoned the Irish ambassador to Jerusalem following “the outrageous words”.
Indian origin Varadkar was then forced to put up a long statement, clarifying his view point about Emily Hand who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri – after a sleepover with her friend – during the October 7 massacre.
In the 6 paragraph statement after the online fury Vadarkar stated, “A little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spend her ninth birthday as a hostage. We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experiences in the loving embrace of her family.”
Varadkar has failed to end online criticism even after the rebuttal and is now staring at a diplomatic face-off with Israel. While leaders from the European Union, have voiced support for Israel’s right to defend itself, Varadkar had earlier stated that although it has a right to defend itself, “Israel doesn’t have the right to do wrong,“ adding: “To me, [Israel’s military campaign] amounts to collective punishment.”
