Irish Prime Minister speaks about Irish people’s connection to Palestinians

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Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar apparently took the opportunity during a meeting at the White House on Friday to urge President Joe Biden to pursue an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza. “We need to talk about how we can make that happen and move towards a two-state solution, which I think is the only way we’ll have lasting peace and security,” said Varadkar.

In response, Biden said, “I agree,” and further signalled his support when Varadkar suggested that a “two-state solution” was the most viable path to ensure lasting peace and security.

“When I travel the world, leaders often ask me why the Irish have such empathy for the Palestinian people,” added Varadkar. “And the answer is simple: We see our history in their eyes, a story of displacement, of dispossession and national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination and now hunger.”

Varadkar met the US president as part of the Taoiseach’s traditional St Patrick’s Day trip to the US capital.

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“President Biden, one of your country’s most sacred promises is to defend the principles of democracy and freedom against tyranny and oppression,” remarked Varadkar, praising the US president and his administration for their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Moreover,” he added, “Israel must reverse its precipitous decision to authorise a land incursion into Rafah,” where over 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the Israeli military offensive that has laid waste to much of the Gaza Strip since October. The offensive has displaced 85 per cent of Gaza’s population amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, fuel supplies and medicine. The UN estimates that 60 per cent of the civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed by Israel.

The occupation state has waged its deadly offensive on Gaza since a cross-border incursion led by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, on 7 October in which nearly 1,200 people were killed, many of them at the hands of the Israel Defence Forces. More than 31,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed by Israel in Gaza, and nearly 73,700 others have been wounded amid mass destruction.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. South Africa, which took the case to the court, believes that Israel has not complied with the ICJ order.

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