Irish Politician Richard Boyd Barrett Criticizes Western Double Standards on Palestine
The Irish politician, Richard Boyd Barrett, has expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right of return.
He also criticized what he called the “hypocrisy and double standards” of the West in addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, calling for a full boycott of Israel.
Richard Boyd Barrett: A Renowned Irish Politician
Richard Boyd Barrett is a member of the Dáil (Irish Parliament) for People Before Profit-Solidarity Party and one of the most recognized faces in the Irish politics. He has also been one of the most outspoken critics of the Israeli war on Gaza.
The Irish politician recently announced that he will step back from political life for several months after being diagnosed with throat cancer, according to the Irish Times.
Palestinians Right of Return
Richard Boyd Barrett voiced strong support for the Palestinians right to return to their land. During his speech at the 18th annual Palestine Festival in London, he said: “There will be no justice in the Middle East, in Palestine, until every Palestinian refugee from Lebanon, from Syria, from Jordan, and from across the world have the right to return to Palestine.”
The Irish politician spoke out against the Western governments for supporting Israel. “We must expose the terrible hypocrisy and double standards of Western governments who continue to support the racist colonial project that is the Israeli State,” he said.
Western Double Standards
During his speech, Richard Boyd Barrett criticized the double standards of the West when it comes to Palestine. “It is sickening hypocrisy and double standards. So we have to say if you are against colonialism, you must be against all colonialism. If you are against war and imperialism, you must be against all war and imperialism. You cannot be selective in these things,” he noted.
Furthermore, he exposed the truth about Western governments. “But the hypocrisy and double standards showed by Western governments show in truth they do not care. They don’t care about oppression, they don’t care about self-determination, they don’t care about imperialism or colonialism,” he said.
The Irish politician revealed the ultimate goal of the Western countries. “They only care about the West and the self-interest of the great Western powers, who want to control areas of the world to steal their resources,” he stated.
Solidarity with Palestine
Richard Boyd Barrett called for strong actions against Israel, including boycott and sanctions. “We need full boycott, sanctions and divestments against the entire Israeli State against the entire project of Zionism,” he said
He also reiterated his solidarity with the Palestinian cause. “Solidarity from Ireland and let us say: from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” he chanted.
