“If we in this Dáil can’t recognize that Israel is a terrorist state, then we’re in serious trouble,” she said in a video shared on her campaign’s Facebook page in June, referring to the lower house of the Irish legislature where she served. She went on to criticize Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, its military conduct in Gaza, and other Israeli policies.
Connolly, 68, is a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland. She was backed by the left-dominated opposition, was not a household name, and was underestimated by many at the start of the campaign.