Mayor defends US trade trip meetings

Londonderry’s mayor has rejected criticism for meeting with pro-Israeli politicians during a trade mission to the US.

Lilian Seenoi Barr said the trip - during which she met New York congressman Tim Kennedy and Massachusetts governor Maura Healy - had been about “economic engagement” and not “political endorsement”.

However some Derry City and Strabane District councillors said those meetings go against the council’s official position of supporting a boycott of Israel.

“Our engagement in US was purely to advocate for our region, its people and its economic future,” the SDLP mayor told a council meeting on Wednesday.

She added: “While our council has adopted policies in solidarity with Palestine including opposing investment tied to the arms trade or profiting from conflict there has never been a vote in this council to avoid engagement with politicians to promote economic growth for our city and region.”

The north west council adopted a corporate policy in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in October 2016.

The BDS movement campaigns for a total boycott of Israel over its policies towards the Palestinians.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Sinn Féin's Christopher Jackson said “support for the Palestinian people has been unwavering in this council chamber”.

“We feel it is not good enough that we show our support locally, we feel whatever platform we have we should use,” he said.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said the meetings had sparked very serious concerns among local Palestinian support groups.

“We have a BDS policy,” he said.

“For me it is clear. I would not be standing with either of those US politicians who are backing slaughter,” he added.

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said the meetings suggested the council is “not serious about BDS as a corporate position”.

He said the meetings had given rise to a “palpable” sense of anger in the north west and called on the mayor to apologise.

“I don’t see anything to apologise for…,” Seenoi Barr told the meeting.

She said she would meet the local branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who have also been critical of the meetings, later this week.

Earlier this year, the then SDLP leader Colum Eastwood did not attend the White House's St Patrick's Day celebrations because of the US response to the Israel-Gaza war.

The mayor told councillors the Foyle MP had “been right to do that”.

She said the recent trade mission – which also included representatives from Donegal County council and the local chamber of commerce - was “different”.

“We were right to travel for economic development, that is our duty.. America is a critical partner when it comes to economic development..,” she said.

Both the Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party thanked the mayor for promoting the north west during the US trip.