Newly-elected Irish MP Réada Cronin (Sinn Féin) apologized for her tweets blaming Israel for UK Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn's defeat in the 2019 UK election, the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported on Wednesday.
"I apologize unreservedly and wholeheartedly to people I have offended because of these glib, off the cuff tweets that I sent in the past," Cronin said. "I never intended to cause hurt or distress to anyone." She also said that she had published the tweets "before joining Sinn Féin and entering politics."
She continued, saying she will "assist and work with everybody, without qualification.""I abhor racism and bigotry of any shade. My character and my politics are Republican and egalitarian."
The Times, a British paper, reported last week that Cronin, a Sinn Féin councillor from 2014-2019, tweeted on the day of the British election in December that "Mossad have involved themselves in dirty tricks in elections not too far away."
In late November, she tweeted "Mossad have involved themselves in dirty tricks in elections not too far away." According to The Algemeiner, other tweets posted by Cronin alleged Mossad's actions were "blatant as f***," saying Corbyn was a "principled man" who fell victim to "lies, deceit, fake news, and the sinister activities of the Mossad Secret Service."
The Algemeiner reported that when her tweets were called conspiratorial by a commentator, Cronin replied, "When the Nazis come back, and they’re on the march, it’ll be Jeremy Corbyn who will stand with you. You are a disgrace to your forefathers."
The Israeli embassy in Ireland responded to Cronin's claims, saying that "everyone should be disturbed by newly elected Sinn Fein TD Réada Cronin’s history of comments that consist of paranoid, hate-driven conspiracy theories. We hope that Sinn Fein will distance itself from her comments."
According to The Algemeiner, a Sinn Féin spokesperson later said that Cronin's tweets "do not represent the views of Sinn Féin."
Sinn Féin representative Pearse Doherty responded to Cronin's apology, saying, while he has not seen the comments, the party was "involved in discussions and preparing for the series of discussions that we have today."
He continued, saying he understands the MP made the comments "before she was a member of Sinn Féin, but I also understand she has unreservedly withdrawn those comments and apologized for them and I think that is the right thing to do."