Council discussing St Patrick’s Day White House boycott

Pressure is mounting on political parties across Ireland to boycott White House St Patrick’s Day celebrations in protest at United States' President Joe Biden’s ongoing support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

On Monday, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he "could not in good conscience attend celebratory events at the White House for St Patrick’s Day while the civilian population in Gaza lives in constant fear of eradication".

However, Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O'Neill announced last week Sinn Fein representatives would travel to Washington DC for the annual St Patrick’s Day trip in “pursuit of peace”.

Derry City and Strabane District councillor Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) is bringing a motion in support of the boycott to Council’s plenary meeting at 2.00pm on January 31.

A similar motion brought before Mid Ulster District Council last week (January 25) was defeated.

Derry petition urges political boycott of White House St Patrick's Day celebrations

'No Céad Míle Fáilte or drowning the Shamrock with Joe Biden until he stops arming and funding Genocide in Gaza' - Derry Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Cllr Harkin is proposing: “Council will write to the Irish Taoiseach and all political parties North and South in Ireland calling on them not to attend St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House, nor to meet with President Joe Biden or any representative of his administration as part of the St Patrick’s Day events.”

Cllr Harkin’s motion continues: “Council agrees apartheid Israel is engaged in a genocide in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including over 10,000 children. Many more have been seriously injured and traumatised, almost 2 million people are displaced and face a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with famine conditions.

“Council reiterates its disgust at the level of collective suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza and commends the mass movement that has erupted across Ireland against the violence in recent months.

“Council reaffirms its support for a ceasefire; for the BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) campaign; for expulsion of Israeli Ambassadors from Britain and Ireland; for Israel to be held accountable by international bodies for war crimes and genocide; and for Palestinian self-determination.

Sinn Fein says it will use St Patrick’s Day US trip to push for peace

“Council agrees Israel's murderous campaign of collective punishment is highly dependent on the military, financial and political support of Joe Biden and the US government in particular.

“Council agrees the Biden Administration has immorally opposed calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, systematically repeated Israeli war propaganda and that Biden has personally bypassed Congress to transfer arms to Israel during the genocidal war that will cause widespread death and suffering in Gaza.

“Council will write to Claire Cronin, US Ambassador to Ireland, British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron and Joseph Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, calling for an immediate suspension of all military, financial, and diplomatic support for apartheid Israel and its genocidal war on Palestine."

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has also called on all Irish politicians not to travel to Washington, "to meet with President Biden this, or any other St Patrick's Day."

It said: "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.

"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.

"The Biden Administration's response to Israel's onslaught on Gaza has been nothing short of depraved. It has continued to supply Israel with arms for its genocidal mass murder; continuously repeated Israel's debunked atrocity propaganda; given Israel diplomatic cover in the international arena; and repeatedly used its UN Security Council veto to ensure Israel is able to keep murdering Palestinians," said IPSC.

The organisation added that Palestinians in the US, alongside IPSC's partner organisations Al Haq and Defense for Children International Palestine, have just taken a case against Biden and other members of his Administration for their 'complicity in Israel's unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'.

It added: "It is not for nothing that he has earned the moniker 'Genocide Joe'. Biden and his Administration are enablers, supporters, facilitators of, and active partners in, Israel's  genocide in Gaza.

"As such, we call on all Irish politicians not to travel to Washington to meet with President Biden this, or any other St Patrick's day."

Cllr Harkin said: "Joe Biden's hands are soaked in Palestinian blood, including of more than 10,000 children. 500,000 people in Gaza are already starving and the gross Biden-led decision to stop funding for UN humanitarian aid means a full-blown famine is nearer. 

"People across Ireland have made it clear there's no justification for travelling to the White House to spend St. Patrick's Day with a Biden administration that's a full partner with Netanyahu in the genocidal bombing and starvation of Gaza. 

"There's no doubt Foyle SDLP MP Colum Eastwood's U-turn on joining the White House St. Patrick's Day celebrations with Biden is the result of people power - but we need clarification on what 'The SDLP will send a delegation to Washington, DC to engage with senior lawmakers' means.

"As recently as last April, the political establishment North and South here whitewashed Biden's sponsorship of the apartheid regime's escalation of ethnic cleansing and violent assaults on Palestinians by rolling-out a red carpet and letting pints of stout flow," said Cllr Harkin.

He said he was urging everyone to back the People Before Profit Council motion calling on representatives North and South to boycott Biden and not to meet with any representative of his administration as part of St. Patrick’s Day events.  

He added: "It's time for all parties to U-turn on St. Patrick's Day celebrations with genocide sponsor Joe Biden. 

"The International Court of Justice ruling demands genocide is prevented. All military, financial and diplomatic support for apartheid Israel must be suspended immediately."