Varadkar says TDs must ‘make up own minds’ on attending US ambassador’s event

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will not be attending a Christmas event at the US ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park on Tuesday night due to a “long-standing and prior commitment”.

Mr Varadkar was responding to calls from People Before Profit (PBP) for all TDs to boycott the event, which they have described as “sick and disgusting against the background of what is happening in Gaza”.

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, PBP TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the US had taken the “utterly shameful, inhumane decision” to veto a resolution by the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Boyd Barrett said recent reports have also indicated that US president Joe Biden has asked Congress to support the sale of 45,000 new tank shells to Israel “for use in their Merkava tanks for use in Gaza, to blow to bits more children, more women, more men, more schools, more hospitals, more water infrastructure”.

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The Dún Laoghaire TD said while Christian leaders in Bethlehem had cancelled Christmas, it was a “different attitude” to the US ambassador in Ireland, who had invited TDs to attend tonight to celebrate “the joys of the season”.

“I mean, what joy is it they intend to celebrate?” he said. “Really, I cannot understand - is it how effective their shells are in killing people, in blowing up schools and hospitals?”

Mr Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he believed it was appropriate for any member of the Dáil to attend and appealed to him to boycott the event.

In response, Mr Varadkar said TDs and senators were free to “make up their own minds” on such matters.

“I won’t be attending myself. I have a long standing and prior commitment to attend the Christmas carol service in the seminary in Maynooth this evening,” he said.

“That’s the event that I will be attending but obviously it’s up to other people to decide what they want to do this evening.”

The Taoiseach said the current crisis in Gaza was “unbearable” and it was difficult to know “when we last saw military suffering on this scale”.

“Perhaps it was the Iraq war, perhaps it was the war in Syria,” he said. “Some people suggest not since the Vietnam war have we seen such violence being inflicted on a civilian population.”

Mr Varadkar said Ireland “deeply regrets” the failure of the UN Security Council to agree a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians and compliance with international law, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and urgent humanitarian access.

He said Ireland was among a group of European countries calling for a ceasefire and would make that case in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

“We support further sanctions on Hamas, but also the imposition of sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank,” he said.

“We have called for a review of the EU Israel Association agreement, taking into account the human rights clause and we’re also providing additional funding for an International Criminal Court, which is the body that could issue arrest warrants, but they must be allowed to carry out their investigation without political interference.”

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