Irish politicians should show solidarity with the Palestinian people by refusing to attend St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the Whitehouse next year. They should make a public declaration to that effect now to show how isolated the US is in their 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.
We are now nearly three months into Israel’s most recent assault on Palestine. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, many of them children, many more people injured, displaced and traumatized, with hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.
The past week has witnessed a further ratcheting up of genocidal violence, as the Israeli occupation forces bombed Bethelham over Christmas, while more attacks were launched on the Gaza strip, as well as on Palestinians living in the West Bank. This slaughter, genocide and aparthied could not happen without the support of Biden and his administration in Washington.
People Before Profit are therefore deeply disappointed at Mary Lou McDonald’s recent statement which indicates that Sinn Féin will be visiting the Whitehouse on St Patrick’s Day, while the brutal treatment of Palestine continues.
The vast majority of people in Ireland stand in solidarity with Palestine, for weeks we have taken to the streets to demand a ceasefire as well as justice and liberation for the Palestinians. A major task of our solidarity movement is to help isolate the state of Israel by breaking all diplomatic connections with representatives of apartheid and making our island an apartheid free zone.
Therefore, we urge Sinn Féin and all other political parties not to prostrate themselves before the US establishment this St Patrick’s Day, and instead send a clear message of solidarity with Palestine by refusing to meet Biden.
People Before Profit reiterates our solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine and our support for the BDS campaign. We call for an immediate suspension of all British, US and EU military and diplomatic support for the racist state of Israel. Palestine is the frontline of the world in the fight for freedom and liberation, their struggle is our struggle too.