Editorial: The people of Northern Ireland will be sending love and support to Israel at this terrible time
Some 250 bodies have been found of young folk massacred at a party for peace rave near Israel’s border with Gaza. There is footage of the dancers as Hamas barbarians glide in overhead, then them fleeing for their lives across the desert.
The anti semitic assault included elderly people slaughtered at a bus stop, families gunned down by their cars, a young woman’s naked body paraded to cheers. But in Belfast yesterday a Free Palestine rally was held. Saying ‘Free Palestine’, or showing the Palestinian flag, was the priority of some Irish republican politicians this weekend. None expressed support for murdering Jewish civilians, indeed Sinn Fein said in a statement: “There is no justification for the killing of civilians on any side.” Yet on this of all days, when the darkest possible manifestation of Palestinian extremism sent hundreds of people to their grave, they pushed Palestinian symbols.
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Hide AdThe UK is one of the friendliest European countries towards Israel, and Northern Ireland one of the friendliest UK regions. But we share this island with a Republic that is perhaps the least friendly EU nation towards Israel, one whose leaders struggled yesterday to use the word terrorist about Hamas or state that Israel has a right to defend itself.
Here the UK government does somersaults to placate those who defend past terror here and present terror abroad and puts endless pressure on unionists to share power with them. It chums up to anti-Israeli, anti-British Irish leaders.
Israel is a beacon of western values in the Middle East amid semi failed, corrupt states with medieval attitudes to women’s and other rights taken for granted in Europe or America. Its enemies want to destroy it.
NI people will be sending love and support to Israel at this terrible time.