Israel has expressed outrage following Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s comments on the release of 9-year-old hostage Emily Hand by Hamas. Varadkar referred to Hand as a “lost” child who had been “found,” prompting backlash from Israeli citizens and officials.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized Varadkar for his choice of words, stating on the social platform X, “Emily Hand was not ‘lost,’ she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS.” He accused Varadkar of legitimizing and normalizing terror.
War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz also condemned Varadkar’s remarks on X, asserting, “Emily was never ‘Lost’ – she was brutally kidnapped and held hostage by terrorist Hamas.”
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Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy joined in the criticism, challenging Varadkar’s depiction of the situation and highlighting Ireland’s minimal role in the hostage crisis.
Emily Hand, who was presumed dead after a Hamas attack on October 7, was among 240 hostages taken to Gaza. She was released on Saturday along with 12 other Israelis in a four-part exchange deal with Hamas.
The controversy was fueled by Varadkar’s tweet, which failed to mention that Hand had been held hostage for 50 days. Varadkar’s subsequent formal statement acknowledged the circumstances of Hand’s abduction but drew flak for the initial tweet’s wording.
Cohen has ordered a reprimand of Ireland’s ambassador, and other Israeli groups have responded critically to Varadkar’s statements.