Sinn Féin to boycott White House events on St Patrick’s Day over Trump threat to take over Gaza and expel Palestinians
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she will not attend the White House for a customary event this St Patrick’s Day over US President Donald Trump’s stated aim to expel Palestinians from Gaza and see it fall under US ownership.
"Like many Irish people, I have listened in horror at the calls from the President of the United States for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homes and the permanent seizure of their lands,” Ms McDonald said in an address posted online this morning.
"Such an approach is a fundamental breach of international law, is deeply destabilising in the Middle East and is a dangerous departure from the UN position and peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.
"The ties between Ireland and the US are historic and run deep, there are deep bonds between Sinn Féin and people in the US who supported peace and prosperity in Ireland,” Ms McDonald said.
Deputy McDonald said the relationship between Ireland and the US was “deep” and “enduring”, but said there was “an onus on us to act when we believe the US administration is wrong, catastrophically so in the case of Palestine.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Liam McBurney/PA)
Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 21st
"I’ve thought deeply about this in recent days but I have made the decision to not attend the event in the White House on St Patrick’s Day as a principled stance against the calls for mass expulsion of the Palestinian people”.
Ms McDonald said the only route to peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians was a “permanent ceasefire” followed by a negotiated settlement for a “just and sustainable two-state solution”.
"That should be the position of the United States. Sinn Féin will continue to engage with the US administration at many levels, with friends of Ireland on Capitol Hill,” Ms McDonald said.
When Taoiseach Micheál Martin goes to the White House, he will have the chance to speak on behalf of the people of Ireland, Ms Donald said, adding: “He must use this opportunity to reflect the view of the Irish people in relation to Palestine, in support of international law and to reject threats for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill, has also announced she will not attend the White House for traditional St Patrick’s Day events in protest at the US administration’s stance on Gaza. She said her decision not to travel to the White House said she was standing “on the side of humanity”.
Speaking at a press conference in Dublin, she said: “The decision to not travel to the White House has not been taken lightly, but it is taken very conscious of the responsibility that each of us have as individuals to call out injustice when we see it.
“We are all heartbroken whenever we witness the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the recent comments by the US president around the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza is just simply something that I cannot ignore.”
Ms O’Neill, who has travelled to the US several times, added: “At times like this, people look towards political leaders to stand against injustice. So in the future whenever our children and grandchildren ask us what did we do when the Palestinian people endured unimaginable suffering, I can say firmly that I stood on the side of humanity.”
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe said it was the right of every party to outline their stance in dealing with the US but also said: "How can you make progress on a trade issue or a foreign policy issue if you have decided you don’t want to deal with the country on the opposite end of the table?"
He told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne: "Every political party can take its own decision how it wants to engage with the US. I believe the appropriate decision is to engage with Trump and future US Presidents. As we look to developments needed in Northern Ireland, the US could support this and Sinn Féin will need to reconcile the decision they have made with that.
"Trump will be looking to engage with how to deal with the government of Ireland, not an opposition party
"If there was time for dialogue for engagement, to reach across divides it is now. President Macron is set to meet Trump next week, and other EU leaders will do that too. It is necessary and appropriate,” Minister Donohoe said.
When questioned on Trump potentially raising issues of tariffs in the Oval Office with Micheál Martin, Mr Donohoe responded that "It is inevitable that issues of taxation will be raised in one way or another but the Taoiseach has strong views. We can continue to be friends and engage with a country still have strong views on things that matter,” he said.
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