Irish politicians should show solidarity with the Palestinian people by refusing to attend St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House, People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll has said.
The West Belfast MLA said political representatives on both sides of the border should boycott the annual Washington DC celebrations in protest at US support for Israel’s “murderous campaign of collective punishment”.
Last month, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said she would not be in support of a boycott of the traditional St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington DC.
“I think you need to be very careful about any idea of boycotting, the Irish relationship with the United States is a very long standing one, a very valuable one, on many, many dimensions,” she said.
“I don’t think boycotting an event like that would resolve the issue at hand in the Middle East.”
Mr Carroll called on Irish political parties to “publicly boycott” the St Patrick’s Day White House celebrations to “show how isolated the US is in its support for Israel”.
“Israel could not continue its murderous campaign of collective punishment of the people of Gaza without the bombs, weaponry and political support of Joe Biden and his administration,” he said.
He described Israel’s actions in Gaza, which were triggered by the October 7 attacks in which 1200 people died, as a “genocidal assault”.
“It would be shameful if Irish politicians were to wine and dine with the war hawks in Washington in this context. Irish Government parties, including Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Greens, should be nowhere near the White House as this slaughter continues, nor should parties like Sinn Féin and the SDLP,” Mr Carroll said.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP have been approached for comment.