First Minister Michelle O’Neill has backed the Irish president’s decision to highlight the conflict in Gaza during a Holocaust memorial event. But Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has said the Irish head of state’s comments were “absolutely wrong”.

Ireland’s president has been branded “despicable” and accused of spewing “anti-Semitic lies” after he used a Holocaust memorial speech to highlight the plight of Gazans.

A Holocaust memorial ceremony in Dublin was disrupted after Jewish attendees were forced to leave for protesting Irish President Michael Higgins’ remarks about Gaza. In his speech, Higgins commemorated the Holocaust and lamented Hamas’ Oct.