Northern Ireland’s First Minister boycotts White House’s celebrations over Gaza

DUBLIN, Feb. 21 (YPA) – Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill has boycotted St. Patrick’s Day events at the White House in protest at US President Donald Trump’s stance on Gaza.

“Our hearts are all broken as we witness the suffering of the Palestinian people and the recent statements by the US president about the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza, which I cannot ignore,” O’Neill told a news conference in Dublin.

“The decision not to travel to the White House was not an easy one, but one we have taken out of a sense of the responsibility that each of us has as individuals to stand up to injustice,” she added.

Political leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland typically travel to the United States to mark the day on March 17, an annual celebration of Irish culture.

YPA