On the 11th of May 2017 an approved motion of Dublin City Council was put into effect. The motion was to fly the Palestinian flag above Dublin City Hall for one month to mark the fifty-year anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank by Israeli forces.
Ireland has a long tradition of supporting countries like us, countries dominated and oppressed by a larger, more powerful, neighbouring nation.
The suffering and death of innocent lives is never good, no one denies that. However, Ireland has no right to do anything like this.
That's because Ireland is a NEUTRAL country.
Neutrality, by its very nature, means not taking a side in an international conflict.
Palestine-Israel is the definition of an international conflict.
Dublin City Council's decision to fly the Palestinian flag for the monty of May, and into June, indirectly violates the Irish principal of neutrality.
If we value neutrality as much as we attest to, if we want to avoid entering into international conflicts, we need to be wise about what we do. Whether people personally feel they should support Palestine or Israel is up to them, but Ireland and her political entities should never enter into taking a side in this conflict.
The principle of neutrality should mean we fly an Israeli flag as well.
I was heartened to see that the former Justice Minister, Alan Shatter, condemned the move.
Sadly I must criticise President Higgins, the protector of the constitution in which Irish neutrality is legally defined and enshrined, should have vetoed this move as it was not in the best interest of the country and paints a bad light on Ireland, and certainly on Dublin!
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