Gaza war disrupts St. Patrick's Day between US president and Irish prime minister

It is a well-established and widely followed tradition in the United States: St. Patrick's Day, which celebrates the patron saint of Ireland.

Some 10% of Americans are of Irish ancestry and this carries over to the White House, since Joe Biden's family himself arrived from Ireland in the 19th century.

Friday March 15, he received the Irish Prime Minister in Washington for the occasion.

But the conflict in the Middle East spoiled the party.

President Joe Biden speaks at the Friends of Ireland luncheon with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, seated, center left, on Capitol Hill, Friday, March 15, 2024, in Washington.

AP - Andrew Harnik

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Obligatory green tie and clovers in full view in the Oval Office, the White House pulled out all the stops to welcome him.

But from his handshake with Joe Biden, Leo Varadkar played spoilsport and reaffirmed Ireland's position on the ongoing conflict in

Gaza

 : “ 

We need a ceasefire as quickly as possible in order to bring in food and medicine to get the hostages out.

And we need to discuss how we can achieve that and move towards a two-state solution, which I believe is the only way to achieve lasting peace and security. 

»

Read alsoGaza Strip: in Rafah, the population fears an Israeli ground offensive

A dense and constructive meeting

The atmosphere remains good-natured.

Joe Biden has always claimed his Irish roots and his tenderness for the country of his ancestors.

But on the Middle East, he is content with an evasive response regarding the serious crisis affecting the Gaza Strip: " 

We are working together to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and we both know that there still has a lot to do.

 »

In front of the press, Leo Varadkar speaks of a dense and constructive meeting and will be back tomorrow alongside Joe Biden for the continuation and end of his official trip.

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  • Gaza

  • Israel

  • Israelo-Palestinian conflict

  • Leo Varadkar