The video clips have pinged around the world on social media eliciting applause, anger and a puzzled question: why are Irish politicians so outspoken about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza? The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, described the assault as “approaching revenge”, the foreign minister, Micheál Martin, called it “disproportionate” and opposition politicians went much further in calling it mass murder. Some wore the keffiyeh in parliament. Pro-Palestinian commentators have hailed the statements as an example to the rest of Europe on how to denounce an offensive that has reportedly killed more than 11,000 people. Pro-Israelis have called Ireland’s responses blinkered and a...