Derry Palestine group welcomes Eastwood's White House 'snub'
'We believe attendance at the White House’s festivities would be an act of complicity and betrayal of the Irish people and their solidarity for the Palestinian cause'
The decision by SDLP leader Colum Eastwood MP not to attend the St Patrick's Day celebrations in the White House has been welcomed by the Derry branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Catherine Hutton, a spokesperson for the group, described the move as a "snub" to US President Joe Biden.
Ms Hutton added: "People power has forced this decision. Our campaigning through the petition and our marching on the streets has made the decision for Colum.
"The people of Ireland have spoken. They demanded that no one should meet Genocide Joe Biden and thankfully the SDLP listened.
"We continue to call on all Irish politicians and civil society to boycott the White House’s St. Patrick’s Day.
"The US administration has failed to uphold its moral and legal obligations to call for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians including over 10,000 children," said Catherine Hutton.
She added: "Biden a self-proclaimed Zionist has signed off on billions of dollars of weaponry that is currently being used in the Gaza genocide.
"The US has also blocked several UN Security Council resolutions that would have condemned Israel’s violations of international law and human rights.
"We believe that attendance at the White House’s festivities would be an act of complicity and betrayal of the Irish people and their solidarity for the Palestinian cause.
"It would be immoral to drink and dance in the White House while Gaza bleeds. Our campaign continues. The people of Ireland demand no shamrocks for the US President while his regime is complicit in genocide."