Sinn Fein’s US boycott does not help anybody in Palestine, Simon Harris says

Sinn Fein’s decision to boycott St Patrick’s Day visits to the US “doesn’t help anybody in Palestine”, Ireland’s deputy premier has said.

Sinn Fein has announced that its president, Mary Lou McDonald, and vice president, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, would not travel to Washington DC in March this year in protest against US President Donald Trump’s Gaza policies.

Irish deputy premier Simon Harris was critical of what he described as an “easy” stance from Sinn Fein.

The Tanaiste argued that it is “more productive to show up” and engage with people.

He said: “It’s always easier to just not show up, isn’t it? What’s actually much more productive is to show up, work hard, and actually engage with people on complex and important issues.”

Mr Harris, who made the comments while attending the G20, said he had been advocating for the people of Palestine and a two-state solution.

“I think that’s exactly what the people of Palestine need right now. It’s much easier to stick up a video on Twitter and say you won’t show up. It’s much harder to actually show up and work and engage – and I think that’s what should be happening.”

Mr Harris said the Irish Government would continue to “intensively engage” with the US administration.

“For any politician to give up that opportunity to speak on behalf of the people of Ireland is regrettable, but really not surprising, with the mode we see Sinn Fein in these days.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin accused Sinn Fein of “engaging in politics” over its decision.

Mr Martin, who expects to meet with Mr Trump at the White House for an event around St Patrick’s Day, said he had a “responsibility to the country” to attend.

He said there was a need to continue engagement with the US administration to protect jobs in Ireland as well as trade between the two countries: “It is very important because, first of all, the economic relationship between Europe and US and between Ireland and the US is an extremely important one, very robust one.”

The Taoiseach said it was also important to keep engagement with the US to offer Ireland’s perspective on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“We need a consolidation of the ceasefire, we need a massive surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and we need to create a political pathway to a two-state solution.”