Sinn Fein has announced its leader and deputy leader will boycott the White House St Patrick's Day celebrations in protest of Donald Trump's plan to "takeover" Gaza.
The senior Irish nationalists made their announcement at a press conference in Dublin, stating they could not ignore the 47th President's remarks about "mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza".
Northern Irish First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the decision to skip the annual March 17 ceremony "has not been taken lightly" but was made with consciousness of their responsibility to "call out injustice".
Speaking at the Dublin press conference, O'Neill said: "We are all heartbroken whenever we witness the suffering of the Palestinian people."
Donald Trump alongside ex-Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
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Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald added that she will not attend the event at the White House over "a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza"
The Sinn Fein duo explained that while Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin would attend the White House, his role was "distinct" and "unique" as he would have a bilateral meeting with the President where he could "make his views known".
Trump sparked controversy during a recent White House news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US President described Gaza as a "demolition site" and suggested its two million Palestinian residents could move to "various domains".
He proposed US ownership of the territory, claiming it could become "the Riviera of the Middle East".
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Mary Lou McDonald alongside Michelle O'Neill
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"Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs," Trump said.
Netanyahu later endorsed the proposal, describing it as "the only viable plan to enable a different future".
Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson strongly criticised Sinn Fein's decision to snub Trump's White House celebrations, saying their Dublin announcement "speaks volumes about where Northern Ireland sits as a priority".
The DUP confirmed its top brass will still attend St Patrick's Day events in Washington.
"We always use the opportunity to strengthen Northern Ireland's economic and political ties with the United States, regardless of who occupies the White House," Robinson said.
He called Sinn Fein's boycott "short-sighted and counterproductive".
Donald TrumpGETTY"Turning away from that relationship, particularly at a time when we need continued international support, is a reckless move that does nothing to advance the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland," the Belfast East MP added.
America and Ireland traditionally share close ties due to ancestral connections and history, though tensions have emerged over US support for Israel following Hamas's October 2023 attack.
Ireland has been among the strongest supporters of Palestine, officially recognising it as a state in 2024 alongside Norway and Spain.
The conflict has claimed significant casualties. Hamas's initial attack killed 1,195 Israelis, including 815 civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza has resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry has said.
