Irish MMA icon Conor McGregor recently condemned Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar for what he perceived as downplaying the severity of the kidnapping and subsequent release of an Irish-Israeli child by Hamas t**rorists.
In a scathing post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), McGregor lambasted Varadkar and labeled him a “disgrace.” McGregor expressed disdain for Varadkar and the government, accusing them and their affiliated media outlets of consistently minimizing or suppressing distressing incidents involving children.
McGregor emphasized the seriousness of the situation, highlighting that the 9-year-old Emily Hand had been abducted by what he described as an “evil t**rorist organization.”
He stated: “She was abducted by an evil t**rorist organization. What is with you and your government and your paid for media affiliates constantly down playing / attempting to repress horrific acts that happen to children. You are a disgrace.”
The incident involved the abduction of Emily Hand, along with her friend Hila and Hila’s mother. They were kidnapped from Hila’s residence in Kibbutz Be’eri, located in southern Israel.
Emily Hand was recently reunited with her father, who had previously thought she had died in the Hamas assault.
Varadkar shared on social media: “This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.”
McGregor strongly criticized Varadkar’s response to the incident, particularly Varadkar’s use of the terms “lost” and “found” when referring to Emily Hand’s abduction and subsequent release.
Additionally, X inserted context into the prime minister’s post: “Emily Hand was kidnapped by Hamas T**rorists on October the 7th. The use of the term lost is inappropriate and fails to highlight that she was released as part of a hostage deal.”
Emily Hand’s abduction by Hamas t**rorists on October 7th was part of a larger incident where Hamas captured around 240 civilians from Israel and held them as captives in Gaza during their recent violent attack.
This criticism from McGregor follows his recent public outcry against Irish leaders regarding their response to a stabbing incident in Dublin that resulted in injuries to three children.