Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign responds to Taoiseach's White House visit: "Our government should not be normalising genocide and apartheid"

Opinion
13 Mar 25

Taoiseach Micheál Martin with US President Donald Trump at the annual shamrock ceremony as part of St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House (12/3/2025). Photograph: Tasos Katopodis / Government of Ireland

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"This does not represent us," the IPSC remarked in a statement shared to social media.

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has criticised the Taoiseach's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday – noting that Micheál Martin "talked about the Israeli hostages in Gaza but had not one word for the thousands of Palestinians incarcerated by Israel in its dungeons, all of whom are abused, starved and tortured."

"Among those detained and murdered are doctors," the group's statement, shared to social media continues. "Israel also holds 112 Palestinian child administrative detainees without charge or trial.

"Why did these Palestinians not merit a call for their release from Micheál Martin?"

Elsewhere in the post, the IPSC state that "Micheál Martin talked of Donald Trump's 'unrelenting focus on peace' and called for a 'surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza', but Israel has blocked *all* food and aid to Gaza, and has now cut off electricity. These war crimes are signed off and funded by Trump."

The Taoiseach's visit to the White House came as part of the annual St Patrick's week celebrations in Washington D.C. The day also saw Micheál Martin continuing the tradition of presenting the U.S. president with a bowl of shamrocks.

During the shamrock presentation, the Taoiseach said that he welcomes "the focus and energy [Trump] has brought to the search for peace – whether in Ukraine or the Middle East – since [his] first days in office."

The IPSC, meanwhile, have stated that they "have not forgotten Trump's genocidal threats to ethnically cleanse and murder the Palestinians in Gaza, nor his continuing to arm and fund apartheid Israel's crimes against them.

"Our government should not be normalising genocide and apartheid, this does not represent us," the post concludes. "#FreePalestine"

On Saturday, March 15, the IPSC are organising a Shamrocks For Palestine demonstration – inviting people to "line the Liffey with Palestinian flags and black shamrocks for Palestine." The event begins at 1pm, at the Ha'penny Bridge.