Tyrone Republicans Expose Sinn Féin Hypocrisy On Palestine
Last night at the meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, Dan Kerr, the Independent Republican Socialist Councillor for Torrent DEA, moved a motion requesting “all politicians in Ireland to boycott the White House St Patrick’s Day celebrations hosted by Joe Biden and the American administration due to his/its culpability in the genocide happening in Palestine, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank”.
The motion argued for a boycott on the basis of the direct involvement of the United States in the atrocities being perpetrated against the people of Palestine, particularly those in Gaza. This direct involvement comes in the form of unequivocal political support for the Apartheid state of Israel, the training and arming its military forces, and at a UN Security Council level, the continued vetoing of any call for a ceasefire.
Unsurprisingly the motion fell short. What is surprising however, is that rather than abstaining, as Sinn Féin did on a motion to expel the Israeli ambassador some weeks ago, they voted alongside the unionist contingent in the council to ensure that the motion easily fell.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald embracing US President Joe Biden on St. Patricks Day in 2022.
The motion, which was in line with the position of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign in calling for Irish politicians not to visit the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, again exposes Sinn Féin’s continued hypocrisy on Palestine. It took weeks of pressure from Palestine solidarity activists urging Sinn Féin to call for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to the Twenty-Six Counties before they finally did in early November.
Just two weeks ago, on the 13th of January Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, spoke to a massive Palestine solidarity rally in London saying that “The world stands at a crossroads and there is a choice to be made. We’re told the world order is based on human rights, justice and the rule of law. We now demand human rights, justice, and the rule of law for Palestine, for Gaza, for the West Bank”.
However, it seems that when faced with a crossroads of their own, Sinn Féin falter. Rather than using their position and influence within the Irish diaspora in the US to take a firm stand against the ongoing genocide in Palestine by refusing to meet with US President Joe Biden, they do the opposite.
Cllr. Dan Kerr (right), alongside fellow Independent Cllr. Barry Monteith (left), at the national demonstration for Palestine in Dublin in mid-January.
Speaking to Éirígí prior to the vote, Cllr. Kerr said,
“We are launching this motion tonight to highlight to Irish political figures across the island that it’s unacceptable to legitimise Joe Biden’s and the American administration’s culpability in the atrocities in Palestine by participating in any St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
While some political parties’ national leadership has already expressed their intentions, we are hoping their locally elected representatives will break rank and see sense and stand on the side of the Palestinian people”.
While Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has argued that they will use their meeting with US President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, it certainly looks to be a case of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. From social media commentary alone, it is clear that there is a huge gulf between the Sinn Féin leadership and their rank and file membership on the issue.
Genuine Republicans, both within Sinn Féin and outside Sinn Féin, must continue to voice their opposition to this position by sending a clear message to the leadership of the party that under no circumstances should they be giving cover to the US administration in their continued support for the Apartheid state of Israel and the genocide of the Palestinian people.