The Irish Government’s policy towards Gaza has been 'disgraceful', TD Mick Barry has said. 

A protest will get underway in Cork later, criticising the Government for not backing South Africa after it brought a genocide charge against Israel to the ICJ.

The demonstration will begin at 1pm in Grand Parade in the city, with a march also organised by the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Local Socialist TD Mick Barry said the Government should be supporting South Africa in its court action.

“The message to the Irish Government is you’ve been disgraceful,” he said.

“Not only have you not supported the South Africans in putting forward this case but you have criticised them and undermined them… You should change your ways and come out and do the right thing.”

Boycott

People Before Profit has also called for the Taoiseach to avoid the White House this St Patrick’s Day over Joe Biden’s support for Israel.

“Boycott Washington,” TD Bríd Smith said.

“Do not share the bowl of shamrock, do not visit ‘Genocide Joe [Biden]’ on that day and isolate them from what is an important day in the calendar of the Irish diaspora everywhere.”

Leo Varadkar has said he feels “uncomfortable” about using the word ‘genocide’ to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza because of it association with the Holocaust.

“I would be a little bit uncomfortable about accusing Israel, a Jewish State, of genocide given the fact that six million Jews, over half the population of Jews in Europe, were killed,” he said.

“That certainly was a genocide [and] I would just think we have to be a little bit careful about using words like that unless we’re absolutely convinced they’re the appropriate ones.”

Main image: Palestinians walk past a building destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Gaza City, 3-1-24. Image:Associated Press / Alamy