Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has said both Israel and Hamas “committed war crimes” after saying yesterday that Hamas is “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people”.
In relation to yesterday’s comments, Ms Connolly said she has condemned Hamas’ actions, in particular saying its attack on 7 October 2023 was “absolutely unacceptable”, stressing that both sides have committed war crimes and hopefully both sides will be held to account.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she said: “They [Hamas] were elected by the people the last time there was an election, there was overwhelming support for them back in 2006 or 2007. And they are part of the civil society of Palestine.
“But history did not start on the 7th of October and at some stage parties outside of Palestine and Israel must begin to look at what has led to this conflict and how it can be resolved and resolved it must.
“In the meantime, the slaughter is going on and the genocide is going on and I’ve travelled the country. I’ll be travelling it again and it’s the top of the list for everyone that I’m talking to, of course all the other issues, housing and health, but the ongoing genocide, people are appealing to us, please stop it.
“The 80-something per cent of the people that have died or have received injuries are civilians.”
Ms Connolly said that she does agree with the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
However, she said: “Israel is acting as a terrorist state. Both have to sit down at some stage. I mean, let’s look at what Israel are doing and call it out for what it is.
“They’re absolutely out of control.”
It comes after Ms Connolly said on a BBC Radio Ulster interview yesterday that Hamas is “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people”.
Her comments came while criticising British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for saying Hamas should be excluded from any future Palestinian government.
She said that it is not up to foreign leaders to determine who leads the people of Palestine.
No aspiring president should tolerate Hamas – Thomas Byrne
Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne has said nobody aspiring to be president of Ireland should have “any tolerance whatever for Hamas”.
“Hamas are murderers and rapists. Every EU country – including Ireland – has declared that Hamas are terrorists,” Mr Byrne wrote on social media site X.
“Nobody aspiring to be president of Ireland, a country founded on human rights and the rule of law, should have any tolerance whatever for Hamas.”
‘President’s role in united Ireland to articulate Article Three’ – Connolly
Ms Connolly said she does not have a new-found interest in Northern Ireland but it has always existed.
“I have repeatedly gone to Northern Ireland in different capacities but it’s something I didn’t announce.
“I went up as chair of the Irish committee. I went up in my own personal capacity. I’ve met groups on both sides of the divide, and I’d like to say diverse communities,” she said.
She said she is very aware of the constitution and Article Three but that any move towards a united Ireland would involve political decision by governments.
She stressed that the president’s role would be to articulate Article Three.
She said she had an open mind and looked forward to the debate that would ensue on the issue.
However everything must be done with respect and consent, she added.
“All parties were involved in the Good Friday Agreement and civil society also played a huge role,” Ms Connolly said, adding that going forward everyone must be involved equally.
“It would have to be that everybody is involved equally. Absolutely, we have to respect both every tradition and every community in the six counties,” she said.
Ms Connolly said she is delighted that parties, including Sinn Fein, have come in behind her, adding that “they see that I have characteristics that they wish to see in a President”.
No party funding campaign
When asked if Sinn Féin was funding her campaign, Ms Connolly said no party has pledged any funding to her campaign.
“We are working with them as partners,” she said, adding that “there are rules around what parties can contribute to my campaign as an individual candidate”.
“The can pay for materials, they can have people on the ground. And we’re working all of that out. There are no promises, there are no arrangements, but we are working in partnership for the ideals and for the values that we all stand for, and for a different vision for this country,” she said.
Ms Connolly added that 7,000 volunteers have already signed up and around €130,000 euro has already been contributed by individuals.
“That is the measure of the strength of the movement on the ground,” she said.
She said that she hoped to only serve one term if elected as president.
‘Never refused to take journalists questions’
The Independent candidate said she has never refused to take journalists questions but that last night was the launch of the parties supporting her and the media were invited and told in advance that it was not an opportunity for questions from the floor.
She said: “I’ve had three launches and I’ve never refused to take a question. So, I faced the journalists on the day I launched in July and answered every question.
“I repeated that at the ploughing championships, I repeated that up in Belfast and I repeated it again outside the Dáil when the broadcasters were protesting.”
She said that the media that were there at the official launch of her campaign last night were there on the understanding that they would see what was happening.
“There wasn’t any room for questions and answers,” she said.