Ireland’s chief rabbi calls on new president to cooperate with local Jewish community

Following the election of the far-left’s Catherine Connolly as president of Ireland on Saturday, the country’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder expresses hope that her administration will work together with the country’s Jewish community of about 2,000.

Connolly is widely seen as adversarial toward Israel, and has drawn criticism for her views on the Hamas terror group, which she said in September was “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people.”

“My hope is that President Connolly will use the office to unite rather than divide, and to promote dialogue, respect and understanding across Irish society,” Wieder says in a statement. “I would hope that President Connolly will take the opportunity in due course to engage directly with Ireland’s Jewish community, to hear our concerns and to better understand how the conflict continues to affect our small community here.”

Wieder says Connolly’s views do not reflect the outlook of someone committed to a secure and peaceful future.

“It’s also telling how central Israel-Palestine has been to this election, despite polls showing that people are far more concerned with issues such as housing, immigration, and the cost of living,” he adds.