Posted 11/29/2023, 3:24:00 AM
UK MP Draws Controversy, Comparing Gray Squirrels to Hamas in Bid to Protect Red Squirrels
- UK Member of Parliament Jim Shannon compared gray squirrels to "the Hamas of the squirrel world" in a House of Commons speech
- He was advocating for protection of the native red squirrel, which has been declining due to invasion of North American gray squirrels
- Shannon praised volunteers working to protect red squirrels in his constituency
- He stated that "grey squirrels are the Hamas of the squirrel world" but did not explain the analogy further
- The remark sparked online debate, with some arguing gray squirrels were more like Israeli settlers than Hamas