Dublin: During their monthly meeting, Dublin city councillors rejected an urgent proposal to fly the Palestinian flag over Dublin City Hall as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza. The motion, which was put forward by Councillor Cieran Perry on behalf of the Independent Group of Councillors and supported by Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and the Green Party, failed to garner the necessary three-fourths support from those present.
Members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil either voted against the proposal or abstained. The decision to reject the motion was influenced by various factors, including the belief that raising the Palestinian flag would not contribute to resolving the ongoing conflict. Some councillors argued that a peace flag should be raised instead.
The Israeli ambassador to Ireland had written to the councillors before the meeting, requesting that they refrain from flying the Palestinian flag at City Hall. The ambassador emphasised the need to consider the Israeli citizens of all faiths living in Dublin and highlighted the presence of Ireland’s Jewish community and those who support Israel in the city.
In recent years, there have been instances where mayors of the Labour Party in Ireland were honoured by Palestine, and some political leaders in Ireland have faced accusations of running political campaigns with the support of Hamas.
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