President Joe Biden kicked off St. Patrick's Day festivities with Irish leader Leo Varadkar in Washington on Friday – a time-honored holiday tradition full of pageantry that, this year, takes on a weightier undertone amid the war in Gaza. 

As the civilian death toll has risen and the humanitarian crisis worsened in the Palestinian territory, the pressure on Biden over his support of Israel continues to grow, both from some in his party at home and on the world stage. 

That was clear just a day before Biden and Varadkar sat down in the Oval Office Friday when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history, took to the Senate floor to call for the removal of major obstacles to a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Obstacles including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Schumer said, adding that he recommended Israel hold new elections.

“He made a good speech and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him but by many Americans,” Biden said in response to shouted questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. He added that Schumer had let the White House know such a speech was coming beforehand. 

Ireland — long considered one of the most passionate supporters of Palestine due perhaps, in part, to its history of British occupation — has been vocal and steadfast in its concern over how the war has played out. 

During brief remarks at the top of an Oval Office sit-down between Biden and the Irish prime minister or Taoiseach — as he is called in the Irish language — before the two headed to Capitol Hill for the speaker’s “Friends of Ireland” lunch, Varadkar called for a “cease-fire as soon as possible.” 

A press release from his office ahead of his visit to the U.S. was more direct, saying the Taoiseach would “raise the concerns of the Irish people on the shocking crisis in Gaza, reiterating our call for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire …”

After the meeting, Varadkar told reporters that Biden made clear to him that the U.S. was going to continue to support Israel. The Irish leader said the way in which American weapons are currently being used in Gaza is “not self-defense.”  

And earlier on Friday, attending a breakfast at the vice president’s residence earlier in the day, Varadkar praised Vice President Kamala Harris for calling for an “immediate cease-fire” during remarks in Selma earlier this month. The vice president went on to add that the “immediate cease-fire” should be for “at least the next six weeks” – aligning her more closely with calls from Biden for a temporary cease-fire to facilitate the flow of aid into Gaza and the release of hostages. Her forceful delivery, however, caught the eye of many at home and around the world.  

“I believe, you, Madam Vice President, showed great courage and leadership in recent weeks when you spoke publicly in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza,” the Irish leader told her on Friday. “I'm sure it couldn't have been easy. But it was the right thing to do. And your words echoed all over the world.”

Biden and Varadkar also used their White House meeting Friday morning to reiterate their support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion as Biden continues to try to convince House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who recently expressed more openness on the topic, to put a Senate-passed bill providing billions in aid to Ukraine, Israel and more on the floor for a vote. 

“I am urging Congress to pass the bipartisan legislation now,” Biden said on Friday, adding it also includes humanitarian aid for Gaza. 

Hours after their White House meeting, Johnson hosted the U.S. and Irish leaders at the Capitol for a luncheon where Biden emphasized his point in front of members of Congress. 

“I continue to urge every member of this room to stand up to [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin,” Biden said. “He is a thug.” 

“We’re very worried about the situation there,” Varadkar told Biden at the White House, speaking of Ukraine. “And we don’t think that if Putin is successful in Ukraine, he’ll stop there and we really need your continued support and leadership.”

“I look forward to speaking to the congressional leaders about that as well later on,” he continued. 

With the approval of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine stalled on Capitol Hill for weeks and the last new assistance package from the U.S. coming in December, the Pentagon on Tuesday announced a $300 million “emergency” package of weapons to Ukraine that it said it was able to make possible cost savings in previous contracts. 

Biden — who often proudly speaks of his Irish heritage — praised the relationship between the U.S. and Ireland at Friday’s lunch, calling his Irish roots a “pride” that is “part of my soul. Johnson introduced the U.S. leader at the lunch as “America's most famous Irishman.”

“No matter how much we debate, no matter how much we disagree, we always have been able to come together as friends,” Biden said of the two countries, adding “the friendship goes back centuries.” 

The president made the trip to Ireland in April of last year, stopping in Belfast, Dublin and County Louth and County Mayo. The U.S. president used the visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which put an end to fighting in Northern Ireland. 

“As I said in Belfast last year, we remain committed to protecting the peace and progress in Northern Ireland since the Belfast Good Friday Agreement,” Biden said on Friday. “Like you, I am glad to see Northern Ireland’s executive and assembly are up and running and from my perspective that's a very positive step forward.”