Home World International Crisis Sinn Féin officials to skip White House St. Patrick’s Day event in protest of US position on Gaza

Sinn Féin officials to skip White House St. Patrick’s Day event in protest of US position on Gaza

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Sinn Féin officials to skip White House St. Patrick’s Day event in protest of US position on Gaza
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LONDON — Sinn Féin leadership announced on Friday that they will abstain from participating in the forthcoming St. Patrick’s Day gathering at the White House, citing opposition to President Trump’s viewpoint regarding the situation in Gaza as their reason for the boycott.

Mary Lou McDonald, the party’s leader, condemned the Trump administration’s position as “catastrophically” misjudged, stating her intention to take a “principled stand” against the threat posed to the Palestinian population in Gaza. Trump’s contentious proposal involves relocating approximately 2 million Palestinians from the region for what he calls the reconstruction of “the Riviera of the Middle East.” While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the idea, it has met widespread rejection from Palestinians and neighboring Arab nations, raising alarm among global leaders and casting doubt on any potential ceasefire.

In reference to her concerns, McDonald remarked, “I have watched with increasing unease the unfolding events in Gaza and the West Bank. Like many other Irish individuals, I have been appalled by the U.S. President’s calls for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian populace from their residences and the permanent appropriation of Palestinian territory.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who also plays a significant role within Sinn Féin as vice president, has expressed her solidarity with McDonald, indicating her stance is one that favors humanity.

The decision to boycott the event has faced backlash from rival political factions, with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin criticizing Sinn Féin for utilizing the situation for political gain. Although Martin has yet to receive an official invitation to participate in the Washington gathering, he anticipates attending and views this as a critical moment to engage in conversations about trade and articulate Ireland’s position on issues concerning Ukraine and the Middle East.

Martin stated the urgency of establishing a ceasefire, facilitating a substantial influx of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and exploring a political route toward a two-state resolution.

Sinn Féin, which has garnered a significant proportion of seats in the Irish parliament over the last two election cycles, remains outside any coalition government due to its historical association with the Irish Republican Army during three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. Currently, however, the party holds the largest seat count in the Northern Ireland Assembly, where O’Neill shares administration duties with the Democratic Unionist Party’s deputy first minister, Emma Little-Pengelly.

Despite being a minority party in the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Féin’s key role in negotiating the 1998 Good Friday Agreement has enhanced its prominence in the United States, where the Irish diaspora is most substantial.

Traditionally, the White House event features the Irish prime minister, known as the taoiseach, presenting the president with a Waterford Crystal bowl filled with shamrocks to mark St. Patrick’s Day. Attendees generally don green ties, and in previous instances, the White House has been bathed in green lights at night, with its fountain decorated to reflect the festive theme.

The event traces its origins back to the 1950s when the Irish ambassador to the U.S. sent a box of shamrocks to President Harry Truman. This practice later transitioned into official visits to the White House by either the Irish prime minister or other high-ranking officials.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton controversially extended an invitation to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams for the occasion, which was met with disapproval from the British government. This year marks a historic moment for Sinn Féin, as it will be the first St. Patrick’s Day since the peace agreement that the party’s leaders will not make the journey to Washington for the festivities.

In 2016, former party leader Gerry Adams was barred from entry to the White House event for security reasons, an action later determined to stem from an administrative misstep, though McDonald, who served as deputy leader at the time, was permitted to enter.