SDLP to boycott White House St Patrick's celebrations over Gaza stance | Newstalk

the stlp leader colum Eastwood says he cannot in good conscience attend celebratory events at the White House for St Patrick's Day He joins us now colum what do you hope to achieve by shuning the White House on St Patrick's Day well I suppose we're thinking about 26,000 people in Gaza have been wiped off the face of the Earth by the Israeli government and it just doesn't seem right to me to be drinking Guinness and uh celebrating um in the White House given the fact that the the American Administration could uh do a lot more in my view to put an end to this genocide so I think you know we obviously it's obviously a big decision to make and we've very good friends with the American Administration but if friends can't tell each other the truth and I'm not sure um what else we can be doing and I think for me anyway and others who make their own decision uh there wasn't much choice I just don't believe that we can be celebrating during all this should the Irish government do the same thing should chin Fain do the same thing in your view well other people have to make their own decisions and the government in particular have a different level of responsibility than I do um Shen have made their decision but frankly I I just think it's more important to make a stand take a stand on what's going on in G and to be in America you know raising money for for any political party it's certainly making a stand but what happens after you make the stand I mean we've if for example the Irish government were to do it that invit would probably never happen again we would lose huge influence there I mean that is a it's a really important date in the calendar we can exercise huge influence by that I mean does talking to people not better than not talking to people look look of course and we're not disengaging from the American Administration and we're not asking anybody else to do anything I we kind of are if you don't turn up at that it's a snub and it'll be perceived as a SN well I'm not asking I'm not asking the Irish government to to do that and I understand that they have a different level of responsibility what I'm saying is when the whole world feels totally helpless um because of what's going on in Gaza this is something that I can do to draw attention and I just don't think that me turning up to a party uh in the White House and you know having a quiet word uh would draw the attention that I can draw by not going and I just think we have to take every opportunity that we have and this is this is acting it's not it's not cing out or it's not um snobbing anybody it's taking a stand and making a point um and I think you know others will make their own decision and again the government have a different uh standard and different responsibility than I do I understand that um but other political parties can make their own decision and um but you know it's up to them but I just think this is this are you looking politically to outlan F on this no at not at all that's why I'm not criticizing anybody else for any position that they've taken um I came to this after thinking about it for a long time I just don't think I've got a choice and I I just I just refuse to think it's the right thing to do for me to be you know in the white house drinking Guinness and pretending everything's okay this is a a moment in history that is we're watching the first ever televised genocide and I don't think you know once we all have limited uh influence on that this is one thing that I can do and I'm just not prepared to go and pretend everything's okay Jerry Adams says that calls to boycott St Patrick's Day are inconsistent he says some folks are saying the shin Fane leadership shouldn't meet with the American political system they're not saying we shouldn't meet with the British political system the Brits are up to their neck in this doesn't he have a point well I think everybody understands that if Joe Biden um put the effort in he could stop this genocide a big influence as well though and they've taken a very pro-israel position well I you know unlike Jerry Adams I actually go to Westminster and I've raised this prime minister's questions many times this is something that I can do in America um I'm not a member of the US Senate I am a member of the House of Commons unfortunately well chin this week are talking about how important it is to turn up they haven't turned up in uh in Westminster ever at any point um to to to use their influence so it's a bit Rich comment from Jerry saying that today h just very finally the US have been a hug important H Force for good in Northern Ireland an honest broker we know what happened with the Good Friday agreement but even even since then they've played a key role would you not be worried that by snubbing this event you're going to insult the US that it could do damage to the role they will play in in the future in order that we know uh things in the north are far from settled at this point could you be damaging that uh down the road no look a lot of very close relationships built up over many years with people in the United States and in this Administration in particular interrup close relationships don't tend to last when somebody doesn't turn up at your house well we'll see about that um I have been very clear with the American Administration in the runup to this my views on this issue that I do think it's inappropriate for us to be celebrating whilst people are being slaughtered in Gaza if if the American Administration and You' made that point you've made that point are you not concerned about the impact it will have in terms of their role in Northern Ireland no not at all there's a long-standing relationship with the American Administration and Irish America and the impact that they've been able to have in Ireland and the peace process has been huge and we appreciate that and I understand it uh intimately um but I also think when you have good friends you have to tell them the truth and what is happening in Gaza is beyond above and beyond anything else that has going on in the world right now and that Mican Administration could do a whole lot more to stop it happening could you go and tell intin bit of influence well I've told I've told the American Administration this but having a quiet word between Pains of Guinness I just don't think is enough I think this is obviously uh got more attention than turning up and having a quiet word and I think that's the point of it to try and make an impact try and use whatever influence we have and hopefully they listen sdlp leader colum Eastwood thank you for talking to News Talk breakfast this morning