According to a former advisor to Donald Trump, Ireland’s official recognition of the State of Palestine may result in the White House cancelling future St Patrick’s Day visits.
Mick Mulvaney, who served as Trump’s chief of staff during his presidency, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of this recognition if the Republican nominee wins the election in November.
“It’s going to be an incredibly fascinating St. Patrick’s Day gathering at the White House next year,” he exclaimed.
If I were Donald Trump’s chief of staff, there would be a discussion in the West Wing next year about potentially skipping the Taoiseach meeting.
This is a significant event, and it carries a lot of weight. We understand the importance of matching symbolism with symbolism, and one of the most impactful symbols we can convey is the cancellation of those meetings. This decision is being received with great gravity in Washington DC.
According to Mulvaney, a former US special envoy to Northern Ireland, the news of the events on Wednesday caused a wave of “outrage” and “shock” in the US capitol.
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“I see many elected politicians in both parties here in Washington who are puzzled about what exactly happened,” he stated during an interview with Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder.
“It does deviate quite significantly from American policy, and it will likely be seen as an acknowledgment of Hamas.”
In his announcement, Taoiseach Simon Harris emphasized Ireland’s firm support for a two-state solution and its unwavering recognition of the State of Israel.
In a strong statement, he expressed Ireland’s condemnation of the brutal massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th, emphasizing that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.
Mr. Harris acknowledged that there would be consequences resulting from the decision. However, he emphasized the importance of not losing sight of the fact that both the children of Israel and the children of Palestine deserve peace. The formal recognition of this will come into effect on May 28th.
