SINN FÉIN HAS come under pressure to boycott its St Patrick’s Day trip to the United States in light of the American government’s support of Israel.
Mary Lou McDonald travels to Washington DC annually for the tradition, as does the Taoiseach, but this year the conflict between Israel and Hamas, particularly the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian people, has prompted calls for politicians to ditch the custom.
On the subject, former party leader Gerry Adams said that Palestinians “would understand” if the party went stateside in March, the Business Post reports.
“Did we agree with Clinton on Cuba? No. Did I tell him that? Yes. Did we agree with him on Iraq? No. Did I tell him that? Yes,” Adams said at a party event in Cabra last night.
“So we don’t agree with US foreign policy, and neither should we. What is important for us in the USA is Irish America. That is what is important. It is clearly important to get the administration there to take up the positive positions it has taken in our peace process.”
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said that no politician should meet with Joe Biden or any members of the US administration for St Patrick’s Day “as long as this genocide is continuing, as long as the US is providing huge amounts of military and political support”.
However, Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill said the party’s St Patrick’s Day trip will be in “pursuit of peace”.
They will continue to advocate for an end to the “Israeli genocidal war”, she said, “so we will fulfil our promise to the Palestinian ambassador and the Palestinian people”.
While it is understood invitations have not yet been issued for this year’s White House event, O’Neill is expected to be among those making the journey.
“We are going to the US in pursuit of peace, continuing to work with the Irish diaspora and US representatives to promote and strengthen the support for the peace process at home and Irish reunification,” she said.
In a tweet earlier this week, Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit MLA for West Belfast, described Sinn Féin’s reasoning as “highly delusional and a gross miscalculation”.
He accused the party of legitimising “warmonger” Joe Biden.
The government has also been criticised for its unwavering commitment to the tradition.
Speaking earlier this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that cancelling the trip to Washington over America’s support for Israel “doesn’t make sense”.
“You have to engage,” he said.
“The only way to increase pressure, the only way you can get a resolution on this is to get international pressure that is so overwhelming that there is a stop to the violence.”
With reporting by the Press Association
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