President Isaac Herzog
President Isaac HerzogAmos Ben-Gershom/GPO

President Isaac Herzog responded on Sunday, during a statement he made together with the President of Germany, to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who claimed that nine-year-old Emily Hand, who was abducted by Hamas and freed on Saturday, was "lost".

"I must point out that I am surprised, and even shocked, to see and hear statements from various leaders in the world, and even leaders of certain countries in the European Union, who are not willing to look at reality as it is and make sure to maintain hypocrisy and a double standard when it comes to Israel. It is permitted to argue, it is permitted to disagree, it is permitted to criticize - we are a vibrant democracy. But there is a limit, and the limit is when it comes to facts and reality," said Herzog.

He stressed that "the statement by the Prime Minister of Ireland regarding the release of Emily Hand was unacceptable. Emily was not lost. Emily was not out for a walk and lost her way. Emily was kidnapped at gunpoint by monstrous and vile murderers, and was held in captivity without any connection with her family, with the world, not even with the Red Cross."

Herzog demanded that Europe treat the truth as it is. "Countries, and certainly the leaders of the countries, and certainly the leaders of the member states of the European Union, should first of all show responsibility and tell the truth: Emily was kidnapped from her home in Israel by Hamas terrorists. Emily and her family are Israeli victims of the Hamas terrorist organization. Being careful not to mention any of the words - Israel', 'kidnapping', 'terrorists' or 'Hamas' - is shameful, ignores the reality and the facts, and is inconsistent with the values of morality, humanity and peace."

"At this exciting time, when we are expecting the third time that women and children are supposed to return from the captivity of Hamas, I say again: We will continue - as a nation and as a state - to work for the return of all our daughters and sons until the last of them - as a first and foremost moral obligation; and the psychological terror that Hamas employs every day will not deviate us from our just, straight and determined path," he concluded.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen instructed that the Irish ambassador to Israel be summoned for a reprimand following the Irish Prime Minister's tweet regarding Hand, who holds Irish citizenship.

Cohen condemned Varadkar over his comments, saying, "Mr. Prime Minister, it seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not ‘lost’, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother."

"Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you Leo Varadkar are trying to legitimize and normalize terror. Shame on you!" the Foreign Minister added.

Varadkar on Sunday tried to correct his error and released an updated statement on Hand’s return, which said that she was “snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks”.

However, that statement made no mention that Hand was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists nor did it condemn the murderous October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.