Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill are still among those scheduled to meet with Biden on Friday. But they could convey the widely held view among their voters that the United States should stop arming Israel and instead use its influence to end the assault on Gaza.
“I’m going to take this opportunity… and tell them how the Irish feel, which is that we want a ceasefire immediately, that the killings stop, that the hostages be released unconditionally, that the food and medicine can enter the country. Gaza,” Varadkar said during a visit to Boston on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the SDLP, Northern Ireland’s smallest nationalist party, said it would not send any representatives to Washington this week.
“The St. Patrick’s Day event at the White House is a celebration,” said Claire Hanna, an SDLP MP in the British Parliament. “We have taken the principled position that we will not attend this party.”
She explained: “It is about the deep distress that we and our voters feel almost every hour of the day about what is happening in Gaza, and our attempt to use every opportunity we have – parliamentarians and others – to contribute and create international momentum to put an end to this.
Pacifism is at the heart of modern Irish identity. Ireland has long maintained a policy of military neutrality and is one of four members of the European Union that is not part of NATO.
At the same time, Ireland has long been one of the most ardent supporters of the Palestinian cause in the world.
People in Ireland and Northern Ireland draw parallels between what Palestinians face and their own historical experience of colonialism, partition, oppression and violence. Some note that Arthur Balfour – who in one letter from 1917 had pledged British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” – had earlier in his career served as Chief Secretary for Ireland and opposed Irish autonomy.
In a show of solidarity, several murals recreating the work of Gazan artists were unveiled in Belfast this month. Pro-Palestinian protests are planned this week in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including a march to the US consulate in Belfast on Saturday.
“We have a history of oppression that lasts hundreds of years, so it is our duty to stand with the Palestinian people,” said Aoibhinn McConnell, a 16-year-old student from Belfast who is Jewish and active in pro-Palestinian movements. protests.
“The history of the Irish people, both famine and conflict, is alive in our minds right now,” Hanna said.
In a survey of Irish voters by Ipsos B&A for the Irish Times last month, almost two-thirds of those surveyed said “Israel has the right to defend itself.” But two thirds also agreed that “Israeli attacks on Gaza are not justified”, and just over half said “Ireland should be stronger internationally in defending the Palestinians”.
Biden has been described as one of the most Irish American presidents. His Irish Catholic heritage is at the heart of its identity. He claimed a special affinity with the people of the island of Ireland. And he made the traditional St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House a particularly festive event.
But Irish leaders in the north and south have been under pressure to boycott this year.
Gerry Carroll, a socialist politician who represents Belfast West in Northern Ireland’s devolved parliament, said Irish politicians should avoid being used to rehabilitate Biden – “smiling with him, handing him bowls of shamrocks, pints of Guinness.
“The parties are talking about peace on this island,” Carroll said. “If they are truly committed to peace on the international stage, then they should avoid the biggest supporter of terrorism in the world, and the biggest supporter of terrorism against the Palestinians, which is the US government. »
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated the administration’s unwavering support for Israel in a statement. White House Briefing Tuesday, saying Biden “has supported Israel…and not just in terms of ensuring Israel’s security against Hamas and Hezbollah, but a broader constellation of measures in terms of military deterrence to prevent this war from taking a turn for the worse.” that Israel could not manage.” .”
But Sullivan said the president “will also speak out when he has concerns about the level of protection for innocent civilians in Gaza, the level and access to humanitarian assistance for innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Varadkar’s office told the Washington Post that the prime minister planned to thank Biden for the United States’ continued role in keeping peace on the island of Ireland and that he would also “discuss global issues, including understood the need to maintain aid to Ukraine in the face of Russia. the ongoing invasion and the urgent humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
Varadkar used his visit to Boston on Tuesday to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We all know that there are culprits who have carried out indescribable acts of terrorism,” he said in prepared remarks. “But there are innocent men, women and children suffering because of these sins, and they should not be subjected to collective punishment. The cries of the innocent will haunt us forever if we remain silent.
He appealed to the conflicting parties based on his country’s experience.
“We know from our own painful history in Ireland that ceasefire does not mean surrender, nor necessarily peace, and it certainly does not mean weakness,” he said. “A ceasefire does not mean forgiveness either. But this presents a glimmer of hope.
O’Neill will visit the White House as first nationalist and member of the Sinn Fein party in the prestigious role of Prime Minister of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government.
Sinn Fein said its delegation sought to strengthen support among Irish-Americans and US officials for Irish peace and reunification.
“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 for the self-determination of the Palestinian people,” the party said in a statement to the Post. “Successive US administrations have played a constructive role in the Irish peace process. Our clear message is that they must take the same approach to Palestine. »
Irish Palestinian imam Jamal Iweida, president of Belfast’s Iqraa Mosque, said he understood why Irish politicians from the main parties would struggle to decide whether to boycott the St Patrick’s Day event.
“It’s a difficult position for Irish politicians,” he said. “They can’t sacrifice their relationship with the White House.”
But he added: “The Irish Palestinian community has lost very close friends and family because of what is happening. It’s very dark, very sad. We see children suffering and dying of hunger. As humans on this Earth, we cannot wait any longer. We need the war to end.
Bellack reported from Washington.