The Israeli Ambassador in Dublin has said she does not believe Ireland is politically neutral in respect of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Dana Erlich was speaking after a screening of footage for reporters at the Israeli embassy which showed Hamas' 7 October attack.
Leo Varadkar said calls from opposition politicians, including Sinn Féin, for Ms Erlich's diplomatic credentials to be revoked did not represent a"common sense approach". "On the matter of the Israeli ambassador, it's not the Government's intention to expel the Israeli ambassador and that is for very good reasons," he said.
"I can understand it as an emotional reaction, but it's not a common sense approach in my view, and it's not the way things get done in international affairs." Leader of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald commended Mr Varadkar"for calling out collective punishment" of those living in Gaza last week. Independent TD Catherine Connolly also praised the Taoiseach for having"shown leadership" in"calling out what's happening in relation to Israel", albeit in a"belated" manner.Mr Varadkar responded that anyone watching social media is seeing a large number of children being killed and many of them are"pretty thin, malnourished".
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