In view of the United States support for Israeli genocide being committed in Gaza this question is being raised by many.
On the surface the answer should be simple, No, he should not go this year. Unfortunately in today’s world where money and trade, plus good relations with the USA trumps all other considerations the answer is not that clear cut, though it should be.
Some politicians in Dail Eireann while sat in opposition are trying to put pressure of Leo Varadkar not to attend this year’s celebrations with the US President, Joe Biden, at the White House. Unfortunately Sinn Fein, the main opposition party will be attending the annual piss up despite being supporters of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. This stinks somewhat of hypocrisy, kind of we support you but don’t fuck up our St. Patricks Day celebrations in the US, even if they are Israels major backer. The party says “we will also advocate for an end to the Israeli genocidal war and occupation in Gaza and the West Bank”. That’s grand sounding but they are not the government in the 26 counties so how much weight will their protests carry?
It is Leo Varadkar, supported by the main party of opposition, who should be pressurising the US to stop supporting Israel and supplying them with ammunition. Will Sinn Fein and the Taoiseach work together on this one? Will Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein President, in such a scenario work with Varadkar? Will An Taoiseach put pressure on the US administration to cease backing the Israeli murder machine? Don’t hold your breath! As these parliamentarians have decided to attend Varadkar and McDonald should seek an audience together with Biden and US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, to seek congressional approval for an arms embargo and economic sanctions on Israel. This is one of many things they could use the trip for, but will they?
On Sunday 11th February on RTEs Week in Politics presented by Aine Lawlor the question was asked of Social Democrats leader, Holly Kearns, “would you go to the White House if you were in Government”? She replied with a resounding, “yes if I was in Government I would go. I think it is important to represent the national interests therefore I would go and I think it is right the Taoiseach should be there”. This answer is contradictory because the Social Democrats are a minor party of opposition and have stated “no Social Democrats will be attending” due to their position on the situation in Gaza and US support for Israel. By the “national interests” it is meant national bourgeois interests, economics, trade and sucking up to the US President irrespective of the crimes they are complicit with against the Palestinian people! In a world where profits, trade and prestige take preference over all other considerations, moral and political, Kearns was saying to the effect of, while in opposition I and my party will protest at the US support for Israel but if ever in government the interests of the Irish rich and powerful in Ireland would take preference. Trade and profits will always, under the capitalist system, supersede all other interests including genocide.
Perhaps the only consistent TDs in the Dail are those of People Before Profit-Solidarity. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD, Mick Barry has said “Taoiseach Leo Varadkar should not travel to meet with US President Joe Biden in the White House on St Patricks Day”. Mick Barry told in no uncertain terms RTEs This Week “business as usual is over and Mr Varadkar should not be celebrating St. Patricks Day with the main supporter of Israel”. Recent figures released by the Palestinian Health Authority have shown that Israel's offensive has killed over 28,000 people, many of them women and children. The PBP/Solidarity TDs in the Dail may be small in number but are the only set of consistent souls in that assembly.
If by some quirk of nature An Taoiseach does use this opportunity to push ‘cousin Joe’ (as Biden likes to consider himself Irish - that’s a joke) into stopping US support for the Israelis, he should also make it abundantly clear that Irish protests against Israel are much the same as those voiced against Russia when they invaded the Ukraine. These protests must not be confused, or allowed to be confused with ‘anti-Semitism’ which, no doubt, the Israelis will try to claim, but on the grounds of opposing aggression just the same as the actions of Hamas on 7th October 2023 were condemned.
My own view is no Irish politician, in the North or South jurisdictions, should attend this-years glorified party. How much damage would be caused to the economy, albeit the bourgeois variant, if for reasons of concern for the Palestinians no Irish delegations attended? Is anybody seriously suggesting that boycotting the event would seriously damage the 26 counties' standing in world affairs? If Joe Biden is serious about being Irish, he should be open to Irish concerns and act accordingly.
On Sunday 11th February on RTEs Week in Politics presented by Aine Lawlor the question was asked of Social Democrats leader, Holly Kearns, “would you go to the White House if you were in Government”? She replied with a resounding, “yes if I was in Government I would go. I think it is important to represent the national interests therefore I would go and I think it is right the Taoiseach should be there”. This answer is contradictory because the Social Democrats are a minor party of opposition and have stated “no Social Democrats will be attending” due to their position on the situation in Gaza and US support for Israel. By the “national interests” it is meant national bourgeois interests, economics, trade and sucking up to the US President irrespective of the crimes they are complicit with against the Palestinian people! In a world where profits, trade and prestige take preference over all other considerations, moral and political, Kearns was saying to the effect of, while in opposition I and my party will protest at the US support for Israel but if ever in government the interests of the Irish rich and powerful in Ireland would take preference. Trade and profits will always, under the capitalist system, supersede all other interests including genocide.
Perhaps the only consistent TDs in the Dail are those of People Before Profit-Solidarity. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD, Mick Barry has said “Taoiseach Leo Varadkar should not travel to meet with US President Joe Biden in the White House on St Patricks Day”. Mick Barry told in no uncertain terms RTEs This Week “business as usual is over and Mr Varadkar should not be celebrating St. Patricks Day with the main supporter of Israel”. Recent figures released by the Palestinian Health Authority have shown that Israel's offensive has killed over 28,000 people, many of them women and children. The PBP/Solidarity TDs in the Dail may be small in number but are the only set of consistent souls in that assembly.
If by some quirk of nature An Taoiseach does use this opportunity to push ‘cousin Joe’ (as Biden likes to consider himself Irish - that’s a joke) into stopping US support for the Israelis, he should also make it abundantly clear that Irish protests against Israel are much the same as those voiced against Russia when they invaded the Ukraine. These protests must not be confused, or allowed to be confused with ‘anti-Semitism’ which, no doubt, the Israelis will try to claim, but on the grounds of opposing aggression just the same as the actions of Hamas on 7th October 2023 were condemned.
My own view is no Irish politician, in the North or South jurisdictions, should attend this-years glorified party. How much damage would be caused to the economy, albeit the bourgeois variant, if for reasons of concern for the Palestinians no Irish delegations attended? Is anybody seriously suggesting that boycotting the event would seriously damage the 26 counties' standing in world affairs? If Joe Biden is serious about being Irish, he should be open to Irish concerns and act accordingly.
It is my guess the subject will be barely touched upon, I might be wrong and hope I am, it will be more about back slapping, getting Oliver Twist (pissed) and presenting a bowl of Shamrock. I cannot imagine the murder of thousands of Palestinian civilians being allowed to stand in the way of these very ‘important’ festivities, not for one second. Again I might be wrong and, unless privy to the conversations which take place none of us will ever know what the representatives of Irish and US capitalism discuss or, more to the point, don’t discuss.
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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