'Outgreening Sinn Fein?' Unionists suggest electioneering may lie behind SDLP being more hardline on Israel than republican rivals

They were joined in their support for the motion by some independent republicans, including those with dissident leanings… but not by Sinn Fein, whose members abstained.

The motion was universally opposed by the UUP and DUP.

The motion, which had been moved by the People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin, read as follows: “Council will write to the Irish and British government [sic] to support the call for an immediate cessation of the bombardment and genocidal siege of Gaza and for the immediate expulsion of Israeli ambassadors.”

The motion passed by 12 votes to eight, with 17 abstentions.

Due to the poor quality of the video feed from the meeting, and the inability of the council to confirm how the councillors voted (despite the vote being tallied up one-by-one by those in the chamber), it was not immediately clear who all the 12 councillors in favour were.

However, by phoning around today, the News Letter understands that all SDLP members present voted in favour of the motion, plus three independents.

DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said that the idea of expelling diplomats was “counter-productive”.

Asked why the SDLP is taking harder line on the issue than Sinn Fein, he said: “The SDLP I think have one eye on an election next year, particularly within Foyle constituency.

"So they’re trying their best side maybe with those who may feel [they want] a more populist approach.

"I think that’s the wrong attitude to take. At times I think they try to ‘out-green’ Sinn Fein and that’s just not something that the SDLP would’ve identified with in the past.

"But sadly, that seems to be the direction they’re going.”

The election being referred to is an Assembly one, which could take place early in 2024 due to the length of time Stormont has now been in abeyance.

UUP councillor Derek Hussey told the News Letter: “I think the clue lies in the fact there might be an election coming up… I’ve found the SDLP in our area at times try to ‘out-green’ Sinn Fein.

"It’s purely on a local constituency scenario, in that that’s where they see their competition coming from.”

DUP councillor Keith Kerrigan meanwhile lamented the vote itself, saying that a mere “12 out of 40 councillors passed it, and now it’s policy – it’s very poor”.

SDLP councillor Jason Barr however said his bloc’s decision to vote for expulsion way simply echoed an earlier such vote by SDLP members in Belfast, and was not down to local politicking.

"That definitely wasn’t part of any of our conversations – definitely not,” he told the News Letter.

“I wouldn’t agree with those comments at all, that we’re trying to steal Sinn Fein’s vote… I don’t think voting for a Palestine motion is going to bring any votes back to us, to be honest.”

The three independents who backed the motion alongside the SDLP were Gary Donnelly, Paul Gallagher, and Raymond Barr – the first two of whom have previously been described by the media as "dissident" in outlook.

Councillor Donnelly has ties to the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM), which has a history of opposing the Good Friday Agreement as "fundamentally undemocratic, anti-Republican and unacceptable".

He was twice arrested by police probing the murder of Sinn Fein informer Denis Donaldson. He was never charged with any crime.

He has ties to the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM), which has a history of opposing the Good Friday Agreement as "fundamentally undemocratic, anti-Republican and unacceptable".

Among 32CSM's past members was now-dead Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt.

Councillor Donnelly spoke at the 32CSM's 2022 Easter service, and is a former spokesman for the outfit.

Fellow independent Paul Gallagher has likewise often been described as a "dissident".

In 2017, the Irish Times said he had previously stood for the IRSP (the INLA's political wing) and he is "proud to call himself a dissident republican – but, he stresses, one who is opposed to violence".

The other independent supporting the motion was Raymond Barr.

An Irish News interview with him last December says he is a former Sinn Fein member who considers himself a left-of-centre republican.

In the wave of the vote on Wednesday, he posted this barely-punctuated message on Facebook saying that he is considering quitting: "I don’t know if i could continue as a councillor and sit with those who put power and prestige before humanity, those who post the Israeli ambassador be expelled from Ireland(as he should) and then like a naughty schoolboy remove the post when teacher tells them,

"Some things are more important than power,humanity and the plight of the the Palestinian people is one of them,don’t let anyone or any party cause you to compromise your beliefs,career politicians corrupt,grow a set of balls and stand up for right rather than please your paymasters, some of our dead must be turning in their graves."

The "naughty schoolboy" comment is apparently a reference to Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard, who had made such a post last week then deleted it:

• Rare public split appears to emerge in Sinn Fein as party top brass decline to back calls for expulsion of Israel's ambassador to Ireland

In the wake of Sinn Fein holding back from calling for the expulsion of the ambassador, the DUP had hypothesised that this was because the party did not want to alienate its American base – America being by far the biggest ally of Israel.