After Emily Hand, 9, and 12 other abductees were released from Hamas captivity on Saturday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar welcomed the return of Hand, whose father is an Irish citizen. But in a message sharing his joy, he claimed it was an "innocent girl who was lost."
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.
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 25, 2023
"This is a day of immense joy and happiness for Emily and her family," he wrote in a tweet. "This is an innocent girl who was lost and came back, and now we are finally breathing a sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered."
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded angrily: "Mr. Prime Minister,
it seems that you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!
Emily Hand was not "lost", she was kidnapped by a worse terrorist organization than ISIS that murdered her stepmother. Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you are @LeoVaradkar trying to legitimize and normalize terrorism. Shame on you!"
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