Ireland has made a choice that speaks volumes — not only about its politics but also about its moral bearings. By electing Catherine Connolly as its next president, the Irish electorate has deliberately elevated a figure whose hostility to Israel is not subtle, not occasional and not in dispute.
Connolly has spent years branding Israel a “terrorist state,” excusing Hamas with euphemisms about “resistance” and refusing to draw clear moral lines between democracy and terror. This is not a political quirk. It is a political identity. And Ireland has just embraced it.
The Irish presidency may be ceremonial, but symbols are never neutral. Unlike Israel, where presidents are chosen by the Knesset, Ireland’s president is directly elected by the people. This is not a backroom deal. It is a statement about national mood. And the mood Ireland has chosen to project is one in which antisemitic tropes and sympathy for terrorists are not disqualifying — they’re central to the candidate’s appeal.
Connolly’s record is not obscure. She has invoked the language of “Jewish supremacy” in Ireland’s parliament, cast doubt on Holocaust remembrance statements, called Hamas “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people,” and parroted Kremlin talking points about NATO. She has brought up Israel in parliament more than 200 times — not to condemn terrorism but to single out the Jewish state for demonization. And her campaign drew endorsements from fringe actors and Hezbollah sympathizers who see in her a kindred spirit.
Some in Ireland will no doubt claim this was a protest vote and a way to thumb their nose at the establishment rather than a mandate for Connolly’s views. But countries are judged by their choices, not by their excuses. For decades, Ireland has cultivated a reputation for neutrality and diplomatic finesse. That standing will not survive long under a head of state who treats Hamas as misunderstood and Israel as uniquely malevolent. A reputation built over decades can be squandered in a single election.
The consequences won’t be limited to diplomatic circles. Ireland is a small nation without the cushion of great power or vast resources. Its prosperity depends on its credibility — on being seen as a stable, reliable partner. A presidency steeped in anti-Israel and anti-Western rhetoric tarnishes that brand. Investors won’t issue statements, but reputational erosion has a way of compounding quietly, steadily and at a price.
And Ireland is not alone. Across Europe, populists have learned to launder hostility toward Jews through the language of “justice for Palestine.” Connolly fits squarely into that pattern: self-righteous, theatrical and ultimately destructive. The normalization of this rhetoric corrodes public discourse, emboldens extremists and leaves real communities vulnerable.
This election was a moral test. Ireland failed. It chose a president who excuses terror, indulges antisemitism and cloaks hostility in the language of virtue. Ireland may be famous for its warmth and its jovial pubs, but charm is not a shield against the consequences of moral abdication. A country that chooses to stand with those who target liberal democracy should not expect the benefits of standing among its defenders. Choices have consequences. And Ireland has just made a very clear one.
