Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar Resigns Days After Criticising US For Its Support On Israel (image@LeoVaradkar)
Ireland’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar announced his intention to step down from the position of Prime Minister. The unexpected decision came days after Varadkar called out the US support for Israel in its war on Palestine at the White House. During a news conference organized at government building in Dublin, he said, “my reasons for stepping down are both personal and political”.
After meeting with American President Joe Biden, Varadkar, the first gay Prime Minister of Ireland, said that the way the US weapon is being used in not self-defence. Calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, he said, “the people of Gaza desperately need food, medicine and shelter, and most especially they need the bombs to stop”.
While addressing the White House, Varadkar clarified the reason why the Irish people “deeply troubled about the catastrophe that’s unfolding before our eyes in Gaza”. He said, the Irish people see their history in the Palestinians’ eyes. Invoking Ireland’s struggles against the British rule, he said, they see a “story of displacement, of dispossession, and (in which) national identity questions are denied. Forced emigration, discrimination, and now hunger”, in the eyes of Palestinians. The comments were made when Varadkar visited Washington on St. Patrick’s Day.
Varadkar said he is resigning as the president and leader of Fine Gael (his party) and resign as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) as soon as his successor is able to take up that office. Varadkar’s departure may not see an immediate general election. Reportedly, a poll is likely to take place in March 2025. The current lead in the country is held by Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army. It holds lead over Varadkar’s Fine Gael and their primary coalition partner, Finna Fail.
Ireland has spoken in volume for the Palestinian cause. The country has called for the Palestinian state in 1980, and often spearheaded criticism against Israel for its occupation on Palestine at the United Nations. Ireland’s mission to UN said the Security Council Resolution calling for faster delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza did not go the required distance and called for an immediate ceasefire, “in line with the overwhelming view of the international community”.
Several of Irish’s artists have joined pro-Palestine initiatives. The renowned Irish novelist, Sally Rooney refused to allow her novel to be published in Israel back in 2021. She even chided Varakdar for not voicing enough criticism against Biden, and criticised him for joining Biden during the St, Patrick’s Day. She said, it enabled the US President’s support of Israel.
She said, “strong straightforward criticism is reserved for the relatively small (and increasingly globally isolated) state of Israel. This way, our Government can bask in the moral glow of condemning the bombers, while preserving a cozy relationship with those supplying the bombs”.
