Derry Anti War Coalition 'horrified' as Michelle O'Neill confirms Sinn Féin will attend White House St Patrick's Day event

Derry Anti War Coalition said they are 'horrified' by First Minister Elect Michelle O'Neill confirming Sinn Féin will attend St Patrick's Day celebrations in the White House.

Spokesperson Davy McAuley claims O'Neill's comments are a 'kick in the teeth' for Pro-Palestinian activists throughout Ireland.

"Joe Biden is a self-proclaimed champion of Zionism who has facilitated the murder of thousands of Palestinian children, the starvation and the ethnic cleansing of all of Gaza," he said.

"Without his support not one missile would be launched at a hospital or a school.

"He is a driver of genocide.

"The Irish people do not want our political representatives to sup with the Devil on St. Patrick's Day."

McAuley expressed doubts about Sinn Féin's claim that they are going to Washington to challenge the US on their policy towards Israel.

"Do they think the thousands of people who are taking to the streets are stupid?

"Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is justifying going to the White House with ridiculous claims the US is leading the effort to stop the slaughter. The opposite is true and we all know it. But this is nothing more than what we'd expect from the likes of Martin and Taoiseach Varadkar.

"However, surely an opposition party claiming to want to lead all of Ireland in a new direction shouldn't be imitating the cowardly and reactionary Irish government?

"We all remember the same lies from Irish politicians when they wined and dined with George Bush as he launched his illegal war in Iraq.

"This is a move that alienates and appalls Sinn Féin members and supporters who have been at the forefront of Palestinian solidarity.

"The leadership of Sinn Féin need to listen to their members and the hundreds of thousands attending Palestine solidarity protests across the island by breaking protocol to Boycott Genocide Joe Biden on St. Patrick's Day."

Michelle O'Neill said her party would be using the event to push for an end to Israel's 'genocidal war and occupation'.

“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.

“We will also advocate for an end to the Israeli genocidal war and occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, for the establishment of a peace process in Palestine and self-determination for the Palestinian people.

“In doing so we will fulfil our promise to the Palestinian ambassador and the Palestinian people.”

Ms O’Neill's home council Mid Ulster may boycott the celebrations as it is set to consider the motion on the matter brought by independent republican Dan Kerr on Thursday.

Ms O'Neill is a former Dungannon councillor, which later merged with Cookstown and Magherafelt to form the Mid Ulster authority.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also justified his party's plans to attend.

“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," the Fianna Fáil representative said.

“It is clear that the US administration is now seeking to not only get an end to violence, but also to create a political track to ensure that there is a Palestinian state, that we get a two-state solution to this.

“People take this very seriously and people are very worried about what is happening in the Middle East, not least because too many citizens are being killed and too many children are being killed, but also regional escalation is happening.”

The National Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign echoed Derry Anti War Coalition's calls for a boycott of the Washington festivities.

"In light of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, there has been much public discussion on whether or not it is appropriate for Irish politicians to travel to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden for St. Patrick's Day," they said in a statement.

"The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign wishes to make our position on this clear - we believe that no Irish politician should meet with any US President while the United States remains the main political and financial backer of Israel's apartheid regime.

"This was our view even long before Israel's genocidal assault on the people of Gaza - indeed, the IPSC has protested the visits of every US President to Ireland since our foundation: Bush, Obama, Trump, and, last year, Biden."