Sinn Fein affirms change of stance on expelling the Israeli ambassador after vote last night contrasts with near-identical one in 2021

The call had been made by People Before Profit, which has issued a statement today saying that only the Green Party (three councillors) and SDLP (five councillors) supported the motion last night.

The DUP (14 councillors), UUP (two), Alliance (11) and TUV (one) voted against.

Sinn Fein (which has 22 councillors) abstained.

This development comes after Sinn Fein also abstained on a similar motion before Derry City and Strabane District Council last week.

In that case last week, the motion had passed by 12 votes (the SDLP and independents) with eight against (all the unionists), and 17 abstentions (Sinn Fein).

The peculiar upshot is that the SDLP is now taking a much more strident line on Israel/Palestine than Sinn Fein, despite the importance that the latter party and its supporters place upon the conflict.

The vote on Wednesday night came during the monthly meeting of all 40 councillors.

At every such meeting, the full council is asked – usually as a mere formality – to endorse the minutes (the official record) of the various committees which had met over the previous month.

This included the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, where a proposal to light up the City Hall in Israeli colours had been discussed.

While asked last night to approve the minutes of that meeting, People Before Profit put forward a proposal that the council should write to the Dublin government asking for it to expel Israel’s ambassador.

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

Sinn Fein’s abstentions last week in Londonderry and last night in Belfast stand in stark contrast to the party’s line in 2021, when Belfast councillors did vote for the expulsion of the ambassadors to both the UK and Ireland during a round of violence in Israel-Palestine which was nowhere near as severe as the current bloodbath.

At that time, the motion had also been proposed by People Before Profit, and was backed by councillors from the Greens, SDLP, and Sinn Fein, and opposed by unionists and the Alliance Party.

(The Alliance had tried and failed to amend the motion, softening it so that it did not demand the expulsion of diplomats).

Back then, party leader Mary Lou McDonald had said: “Well done to all the activists from Ógra Shinn Féin who collected & handed in a petition containing over 88,000 signatures calling for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador. This is a strong message from the Irish people that there must be consequences for breaking international law.”

And in April last year, she had said: “Today I again called for the expulsion of the Russian Ambassador from Ireland. Ireland stands with Ukraine now in your dark days, and we will stand with you in the light of a victory of humanity over injustice, of light over dark, of life over death.”

• DUP suggests Sinn Fein is holding back on Israeli diplomatic expulsion to avoid riling up American support base

As a result of Sinn Fein’s new stance, the party was drawing criticism from other republicans today.

Among them were socialist republican group Lasair Dhearg, which said: “Once again, Sinn Féin abstained tonight at the Belfast City Council vote on expelling the Israeli ambassador. Nearly 9,000 Palestinians dead and Sinn Féin refuse to acknowledge the global call of the Palestinians to expel Zionist ambassadors.

“Traditional republican” account @Caittrainor (4,700) said: “Provisional Sinn Féin shouldn't be given speaking rights at any Free Palestine rallies, they talk out both sides of their mouth, shouting Free Palestine on one hand & then abstaining on votes to expel the Israeli Ambassador, but I'm not surprised. Disgraceful & treacherous.”

Meanwhile general pro-Palestinian Twitter account @PalBint (over 60,000 followers) said: “Over 8,000 Palestinian civilians murdered in Gaza and Sinn Fein has abstained on vote to expel Israeli ambassador last night. What a shocking betrayal.”

Councillor Michael Collins of People Before Profit said in the wake of last night’s vote: “I am appalled at those councillors who have refused to hear the cries of the Palestinian people,” Cllr Collins said.

“History will not be kind to those who have looked on while Israel commits genocide in Gaza.

“Apartheid Israel has proven impervious to calls for a ceasefire. War criminals like Netanyahu are intent on wiping Palestine off the map. It will take international sanctions, economic boycott and divestment to force Israel’s hand.

“Palestinians suffering under Israel’s racist, settler-colonial project have demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. Those who claim to support Palestine need to heed their call.

“In particular, it is disappointing that Sinn Féin joined the DUP and Alliance in refusing to support the call. They abstained where their support would have carried the motion.

“There can be no capitulation on the lives and rights of the Palestinian people.

"Over 8,000 killed in the latest slaughter - how many more before the Israeli ambassador is expelled?”