Irish PM calls out US support for 'Israel' at White House

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Mar 2024 04:33
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Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says "the Irish people are deeply troubled about the catastrophe that's unfolding" in Gaza.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar speaks during a Saint Patrick's Day event with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on March 17, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Palestinians "need the bombs to stop," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stressed Sunday as he made a plea for a ceasefire in Gaza, speaking during a St Patrick's Day reception at the White House.

US President Joe Biden has been hosting Varadkar in Washington for an annual visit celebrating the close ties between the United States and Ireland, as 10 percent of Americans claim ancestral roots there.

"The people of Gaza desperately need food, medicine and shelter, and most especially they need the bombs to stop," Varadkar underlined as Biden looked on.

The prime minister, also known as the Taoiseach in Irish, has been one of Europe's most critical leaders over the Israeli war on Gaza.

He pointed out that "the Irish people are deeply troubled about the catastrophe that's unfolding before our eyes in Gaza."

"We see our history in their eyes, a story of displacement, of dispossession, and (in which) national identity questions are denied. Forced emigration, discrimination, and now hunger," he expressed, invoking his country's memories of its own struggles against British rule.

"The Taoiseach and I agree about the urgent need to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and get the ceasefire deal... that brings the (Israeli) hostages home and moves towards a two-state solution," Biden said Sunday.

Netanyahu vowed again Sunday that Israeli troops will invade the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, where roughly 1.5 million Palestinians are being sheltered.

The United States has demanded a "clear and implementable plan" to protect civilians there, while Varadkar on Sunday called on "Israel" to abandon the planned invasion.

On Friday, the Irish leader called out the United States' support for "Israel".

"I think none of us like to see American weapons being used in the way they are. The way they're being used at the moment is not self-defense," Varadkar said after meeting with Biden in the Oval Office.