Doblin - Saba:
Northern Ireland's Prime Minister Michelle O'Neill on Friday said she will not attend St. Patrick's Day events at the White House in protest against US President Donald Trump's position on Gaza.
"Our hearts are all broken as we witness the suffering of the Palestinian people and the recent statements of the US President about the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza, which is something I cannot ignore," O'Neill said at a press conference.
For her part, the leader of the Irish opposition party (Sinn Fein) Mary Lou McDonald stated that she cannot visit Washington "as long as there is a threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people."
"We take responsibility when we think the US administration is wrong, which is catastrophic in the case of Palestine," McDonald said at a press conference.
Trump sparked global outrage when he suggested the US could "take control" of the Gaza Strip after permanently displacing the Palestinian people elsewhere.
The Irish government and opposition politicians are traditionally invited to the White House every year on St Patrick's Day, Ireland's national day on March 17, and see the celebrations as an occasion for diplomatic engagement.
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