Connolly’s support fuels outrage as anti-Israel activists aid Hamas propaganda against Israel’s defense measures.
Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly publicly backed her sister, Dr. Margaret Connolly, after Israeli naval forces detained her during an attempted breach of the Gaza naval blockade aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Dr. Connolly, a general practitioner from Sligo, was among several Irish nationals on the vessel when Israeli commandos intercepted it in the Mediterranean. Speaking after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, President Connolly said she was proud of her sister but worried about her safety and the status of others on board.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the flotilla’s humanitarian claims, calling it a deliberate provocation designed to serve Hamas, distract from the terror group’s refusal to disarm, and obstruct President Trump’s peace plan.
Activists released pre-recorded videos accusing Israel of kidnapping them, but Jerusalem framed the operation as lawful enforcement of a security blockade aimed at preventing assistance to Hamas-controlled Gaza.
The controversy has deepened concerns over Ireland’s increasingly hostile posture toward Israel. President Connolly previously sparked anger by describing Hamas as part of Palestinian society’s “fabric,” while later accusing Israel of genocide and calling it a terrorist state.
Her predecessor Michael Higgins also repeatedly clashed with Israel, including after Jerusalem closed its Dublin embassy over Ireland’s anti-Israel moves.
