In a precedent within Europe, the Irish Parliament passes a law that considers Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories “de facto illegal annexation,” a law that won the consensus of the parties of the Republic of Ireland, as well as their condemnation of the displacement of the Palestinian population.
The law saw that settlement expansion is a serious violation of international law, and immediately after its passage, the Irish “Sinn Fein” party, the largest and oldest party, declared that this memorandum was a victory for the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own destiny, and the Irish Parliament almost voted on another memorandum calling for the expulsion The Israeli ambassador, but did not win the sufficient majority. Read also Why do the Irish support the Palestinians?The Scottish Dundee and the Palestinian Nablus…a twinning story Why is the Celtic fans in solidarity with the Palestinian cause?
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This self supporting the Palestinian cause, officially and popularly, is also found in Scotland, where the officials have no qualms in directing clear criticism of the occupation, as well as the popular manifestations of support for Palestine (the Glasgow Club fans raised the Palestinian flag, parliamentarians wear the Palestinian keffiyeh …). An incubator environment exists for this issue.
What are the reasons that make two European countries consider the Palestinian file among the priorities in their foreign policy, and top the concerns of public opinion?
History and Ethics
The Irish see in the Palestinian issue many similarities with their cause, and so since 1947 Ireland began to view Israel as a province of colonialism in order to control the Arabs, and they also view Northern Ireland as being occupied by Britain.
Ireland has always been wary of Israel, and thus it will not recognize it until 15 years after the so-called declaration of the state of Israel, and by 1967 the Irish Foreign Ministry will make the refugee issue its primary issue, according to what was stated by then Foreign Minister Frank Aiken, who can be said to be the foundations of the defense doctrine. On the “right of return” in his country, and even to demand full compensation for the Palestinian refugees.
Since its entry into the European Union, Ireland has topped the scene of defenders of the Palestinian cause, and in 1980 demanded the establishment of a Palestinian state, and support stations would follow. This path can be summarized by a statement by the Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Aharn, who said that his country is interfering in this file on the one hand, “its moral dimension from Where respect for human rights and anti-imperialism. “
Similarity experiences
The head of the Palestinian Right Foundation in Ireland, Yahya Abed, explains Dublin’s support for Palestine “through the projections that the Irish make to their experience and the Palestinian experience. Intellectual property of the Irish because they lived it. “
The Palestinian activist, who was participating in a demonstration in support of Palestine, confirmed during his interview with Al Jazeera Net that the Irish citizen “has a very high awareness of the Palestinian issue compared to the rest of the Europeans.”
With a lot of joy, Abed expresses the level reached by solidarity with Palestine in Ireland, “After the recent war on the Strip, the ceiling in solidarity with our cause has risen very much to unprecedented levels. For example, there is an almost daily pause in front of the Israeli embassy in Dublin.”
These positions made Ireland under pressure, and according to what the same spokesman revealed, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, before his recent visit to the Middle East, stopped in Dublin and sat with its officials for 3 hours in order to pressure them to change their position on Israel and reduce the tone of support for Palestine, considering that they are attempts that will not change A lot “because popular solidarity has reached a stage in which it cannot be subject to any pressure, and the Palestinian flag is now being raised in all Dublin streets and in all residential areas.”
Historic responsibility
The situation is not much different in Scotland, where the Palestinian cause enjoys popular and political support led by the Scottish National Party, which is currently leading the country, given “a sense of historical responsibility towards this file,” according to Muhammad al-Azraq, a Palestinian activist in Glasgow.
The Palestinian researcher and activist said, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, that Scotland sees Palestine “as a repetition of its experience for independence and the right to self-determination that it is still searching for, and it sees in this issue a manifestation of peoples’ pursuit of liberation,” adding that Scotland also has “it.” High sensitivity in dealing with issues of occupation and colonialism because the nationalist parties are promoting that Scotland also needs independence from the United Kingdom.
And the same speaker adds that there is the Irish influence, “there is a large segment of the population in Scotland that traces their origins to Ireland, a group that emigrated during the war and has the ability to influence public debate”, providing the example of the Glasgow Celtic Club, which is one of the most solidarity clubs in the world with Palestine. ” This club was founded by the Irish, so what they are doing is loyal to the founding fathers. “
As for the last factor, which is new, it is the solidarity that the cause possesses among young people, “and this group in large part supports the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom and is critical of Britain’s foreign policy, and it is currently one of the biggest defenders of the Palestinian cause.”