Irish President Michael D Higgins has been accused of politicising a Holocaust memorial event in Ireland after making comments about the war in Gaza. Some audience members walked out or turned their backs when Higgins mentioned the war, and some were removed from the building by security. Dana Erlich, a representative of the Jewish and Israeli communities in Ireland, expressed concern about the treatment of those who disagreed with the president's comments. She described the scene as ugly and regrettable and said that the concerns of the Jewish and Israeli communities in Ireland are not being addressed sufficiently.