When the genocide in Gaza began, no one thought it would go on for so long. But it has, and along the road many challenges have come up for governments, social movements, Arab countries and political parties - and nearly all of them have been found wanting on the issue. In Ireland the annual cringe fest that is St. Patrick’s Day in Washington threw up a problem for Sinn Féin last year. Should they go or not go?
Last year the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign issued a call for all political parties, including government parties, not to go. Sinn Féin broke that call for a boycott and were swiftly pardoned by the IPSC which swiftly invited them to address a Palestinian solidarity rally in Belfast one day before Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill First Minister of Northern Ireland swanned around with Biden, imbibing of whatever liquor was on offer on the day. Supping the devil’s buttermilk as some of their unionist colleagues might put it.
At the time Sinn Féin said it was going, as it was important and that they would raise the issue of Palestine with Biden. One month before flying out to Washington a Sinn Féin spokesperson stated:
We will use every political and diplomatic opportunity and influence that we have to be a voice for Palestine, to demand an end to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, for Palestinian statehood and for a permanent ceasefire now.[1]
In the end they did no such thing. In fact, the then Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar was more forceful than Mary Lou or Michelle who made even more tepid statements and quaffed what was put in front of them and enjoyed the jollies. They could have been forgiven for thinking that it would be all over by 2025 and this situation would not arise again. Well, we should be gentle on them, many of us underestimated the Israeli bloodlust. But here we are again. Trump continues with Biden’s genocide and announces his intention to commit two war crimes e.g. the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, a war crime under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and profit from the looting of their assets a further war crime under Article 33 of the same convention.[2]
The SDLP was the first out of the hatches saying it would not go, reaffirming their position of the previous year. It is ironic that Sinn Féin supporters used to refer to the SDLP as the Stoops, a play on their initials, Stoop Down Low Party, which probably means Sinn Féin (SF) should now be known as the Stoop Further. As is common with the Stoop Further, they are fond of speaking out both sides of their mouths. They announced that they would not go this year, though no official invite has been issued to them, and at the same time urged the Irish government to go. A case of wanting to have their cake and eat it too.
Mary Lou McDonald stated Trump’s plan “represents a marked escalation in the very complex conflict situation for the Palestinian people.”[3] Really? Expulsion is an escalation from genocide? To be very clear, there is a specific genocide convention and genocide is a Crime Against Humanity, under that convention, and is so at all times and in all circumstances.[4] There are no ifs or buts to that. Expulsion and profiteering are war crimes. In legal terms, they are egregious crimes but less so than genocide. There is no escalation here. Both Biden and Trump have been complicit in the genocide, Trump however has put the blood-soaked icing on the cake with his proposal. Except it is not his proposal. It has been official US and Israeli policy since 2007.[5] In other words, a plan that began under Bush and continued during the eight years of Obama’s presidency when Biden was the Vice-President, Trump’s first presidency and of course Biden’s four demented years as President.
Mary Lou McDonald seeks to draw a line under her support for the US. There is some mythical line in the sand between the Democrats' support for murder, genocide, torture and Trump’s. In refusing to go to the Blood Fest in Washington she stated that Sinn Féin would not be in a position to challenge Trump’s statements at the Blood Fest (she doesn’t describe it as such, to be clear that is my accurate description). This is surprising as last year, she said that they would challenge Biden on his support for Israel. Before they went off on their junket last year, two days before the St Patrick’s Blood Fest they issued a tame communiqué asking Biden to play a more “constructive role” in Palestine,[6] whatever that is supposed to mean. In fact, part of their public rationale for going was that they could influence US government policy. So, what is different now? Have they concluded that their junket last year did not produce the results they hoped for? Well, they had no expectations that Biden would end US complicity in the genocide and as I already pointed out, when they went their statements were way weaker than the Irish government’s official statements. So, the answer is no. This year they have said they won’t go, but have said the Taoiseach should go:
We absolutely believe that he needs to go and, furthermore, when there, set out unambiguously the Irish position in respect to all of these matters and to push back directly against any threat or goal for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, the annexation of that land.[7]
If, as last year under Biden, they believed they could influence policy in the same way they now expect the southern Irish government to do, why don’t they go? The answer is one of political expediency. They have calculated that this time round there is no political cost amongst their reactionary base in the USA to boycotting a Trump event and by calling on the Irish government to go, they continue to signal that they are a “reasonable partner” that the Irish state and Trump can do business with. Michelle O’Neill stated that she couldn’t go this year because:
I couldn't in all conscience make that trip at this time. I just think that there are times whenever we'll all reflect, and certainly whenever my grandchildren ask me, what did I do whenever the Palestinian people were suffering, I could say that I stood on the side of humanity.[8]
Except of course, she didn’t. Whilst Biden gladly and gaily supplied Israel with all the military hardware required to carry out a genocide, she did not nothing. In the waning days of Biden’s support for genocide, on January 4th of this year he notified Congress of an additional US $8 billion arms sale to Israel.[9] Yeah, Michelle can tell her grandchildren what she likes, but she supped with the Devil. She took part in a genocide through her endorsement of Biden. Her sudden hypocritical distancing from the same policies under Trump is meaningless.
It is not an ethical position; it is not one based on some internationalist concept of solidarity with the oppressed or even a liberal opposition to genocide and war crimes as they have previously shown no such solidarity or real opposition to such acts when Biden was the war criminal in charge.
No matter how low you think Sinn Féin can stoop, they will always surprise you and Stoop Further.
References
[1] The Irish News (23/02/2024) Protests at east Belfast arms manufacturer as city council’s largest parties accused of ‘vetoing’ PBP Gaza ceasefire motion. John Manley.
[2] The Geneva Conventions can be consulted at.
[3] Irish Independent (22/02/2025) Sinn Féin may be boycotting White House for St Patrick’s Day, but Mary Lou McDonald is imploring Taoiseach to attend and confront Trump. Tabitha Monahan and Senan Molony.
[4] To consult the Genocide Convention.
[1] The Irish News (23/02/2024) Protests at east Belfast arms manufacturer as city council’s largest parties accused of ‘vetoing’ PBP Gaza ceasefire motion. John Manley.
[2] The Geneva Conventions can be consulted at.
[3] Irish Independent (22/02/2025) Sinn Féin may be boycotting White House for St Patrick’s Day, but Mary Lou McDonald is imploring Taoiseach to attend and confront Trump. Tabitha Monahan and Senan Molony.
[4] To consult the Genocide Convention.
[5] Jonathan Cook (14/02/2025) Trump didn't invent the Gaza ethnic cleansing plan. It's been US policy since 2007.
[6] Sinn Féin (15/03/2024) O’Neill urges President Biden to play constructive role in securing immediate Gaza ceasefire.
[7] Irish Independent (22/02/2025) op. cit.
[8] RTE (22/02/2025) O'Neill says 'could not live' with decision to visit White House over Gaza.
[9] Al Jazeera (04/01/2025) Biden notifies US Congress of planned $8bn arms sales to Israel: Reports.
[6] Sinn Féin (15/03/2024) O’Neill urges President Biden to play constructive role in securing immediate Gaza ceasefire.
[7] Irish Independent (22/02/2025) op. cit.
[8] RTE (22/02/2025) O'Neill says 'could not live' with decision to visit White House over Gaza.
[9] Al Jazeera (04/01/2025) Biden notifies US Congress of planned $8bn arms sales to Israel: Reports.
⏩ Gearóid Ó Loingsigh is a political and human rights activist with extensive experience in Latin America.
Super article, the Whitehouse bash was always an addendum to the SF money raising schedule at this time of year. I am not sure how Chelle, refusing an invite that was never issued has made the headlines, but senior Shinners will still travel to the States and will still break bread with right wing genocide supporters. Brendan Boyle described as "Irelands best friend on Capitol Hill" will still be lauded by them despite his public pronouncements on the eradication of Palestine. How low can they stoop? As low as the Yankee dollar will take them
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose Trump's betrayal of Ukraine, his sucking up to Putin and the fact that this serial rapist and paedophile has it used his influence to secure the release of the Tate brothers figured in her decision. Thought not.
ReplyDeleteA bit of a cheap dig at Sinn Fein, you can't expect them to have any sort of moral integrity at this stage. They are consistent in their political volte-face, so this should really come as no surprise.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Muiris in his characterisation of the piece as a super article. It states what is rather than having a cheap dig but the Stoop Furthers is a delicious takedown on the radical posturing that they try to bamboozle people with.
DeleteBut you are right, the foolish alone remain fooled. Everybody else is not surprised.
Is there a depth to which is a fathom too far for Sinn Fein?
DeleteThey really are doing their electorate a disservice by not standing in The Commons as is their right..
😉