Should the Deputy First Minister for the State of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, Call For Expulsion of the UK Israeli Ambassador?
In recent days there have been widespread calls for the Irish Government, particularly the Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, to expel the Irish Ambassador to Ireland, since the Israeli Defence Force naval personnel upon the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international chartered waters of the Mediterranean. However, as yet there has been no pressure brought to bear on the NI Stormont Executive to call for the UK government to consider a similar course of action!
Has Norn Iron's Deputy Dawg Gone Fishing?
In Northern Ireland, sympathies for the Middle East crisis falls along traditional lines with Republicans/nationalists having affinity for the plight of the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza strip, and with unionists/loyalists supporting Israel. In the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein’s President Gerry Adams, was adamant in his public demand for the Irish government to expel the Israeli Ambassador, Dr Zion Evrony. This automatically begs the question, WHY has a similar demand from the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, who recently went to great pains to emphasise that he was only deputy in name and hence that he had EQUAL powers to Peter Robinson?This is not the first time this ideological conundrum has dogged the Sinn Fein leadership in the Republic and in the Occupied State of Northern Ireland. Several months ago Eamonn McCann flagged the cordial meeting geared to building TRADE links with Israel. This meeting was attended by FM Peter Robinson, DFM Martin McGuinness and the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Mr. Posnor.
McCann highlighted the severe contradiction in ideological terms between what Sinn Fein professes to do and what it actually ends up doing. SF has consistently held a firm stance through-out the years in their unequivocal support for the Palestinian peoples. So much so, that in the aftermath of the 22 War 18 months ago, Gerry Adams himself visited the Gaza strip to get a first hand assessment of the carnage and destruction inflicted upon the region. SF compiled an extensive report on the 22 Day War following the visit. Also, similar actions in support of the Palestinian are visible right though the organisation with Ogra Sinn Fein actively promoting Pro Palestinian campaigns on the ground!
On a superficial level McCann makes the observation that there was no onus on Martin McGuinness to even attend this meeting on ethical/moral grounds given his party’s Palestinian stance. Furthermore, the opt-out option which accompanies such a non-formal constitutional event is often preferred by his counterparts in the DUP who have opted out of meetings in the past. From the above photograph of the May 2009 meeting(less than 6 months after the 22 Day War), surely as a minimum requirement the roles should have been reversed with regards the obligatory shaking of hands!!
6 comments:
This is sad what Israel does against Palestina taking their land and occupiing them worse than German Nazis. But it is sad also what US and Arabian rich oil princes and Osama Bin Laden - all toggheter did in Yougoslavia- taking part of Great Albania and killing over 3500 innocent civillians - farmers and innocents even when they were out in fields on work. and then Madleine Albright took their terroristic leader, fucked him and did him a president of the Stolen by Slaves Kosovo, instead of put him in Haag. Unjustice and hypocracy against the Slaves. But the Slavic ppl helps Palestina too. So it s complicated. But the beaten are allways the Slavic ppl
It s not EASY to be a head of a country and be in love wth young Israelly woman...
)))
Quebec french republicans wish to join the Irish republicans in their recognition of
the Palestine's fight for freedon.
Vive les peuples libres
Vive la République !
Very well said, the Shinn Finners never fail to do one thing, that is , to contradict themselves, whore themselves out politically to the highest bidder, and pleasing the British Crown and the Stormont Establishment
Developing a leadership that is needed in Ireland's developing crisis, will require courage, as it will probably be unpopular initially. This is where I feel mistakes are being made in that, we should forget about elections, popularity and develop a leadership with backbone policies,developed in frank discussions of Marxism initially.
In my experience of the left, it has like Irish republicanism been riven with division, which the Brits exploit. One of the left's constant thorns has been in-fighting on interpretations of dialectic materialism of class struggle, which is way above most people's head. Nevertheless with all we have experienced in leadership betrayal as Connolly foretold, we need an alternative structure, where discussion is encouraged, so we can all learn from from actually LISTENING to each other's experiences, developing leadership on the traditions learned from the lessons of experience, as opposed to polemical theory. That structure are arrived at in genuine consensus with patience, a lot of patience, in order to protect the community, as opposed to a few individuals, from the personal ego, material and power ambitions, that we all have to a degree, which always corrupts without PROPER checks and balances.
The tradition in Ireland of putting individuals on pedastals, like McGuinness, Adams, De Valera, Collins, Cosgrave, etc, ..especially with encouragement from the media mafia, is self defeating. Not one of us on our own has the solution, NOBODY HAS A MONOPLY ON THE TRUTH.
We need to recognize this, in the interest of the common good of Ireland. We also need a party equally good at listening as with expressing, who have the patience and ear for it, even to amadan like me.
beir bua,
boru
A chairde,
I'd like to echo 100% what Rory said, its spot on. Someone also quoted "a picture states a thousand words". The Picture above and the body language tells me all I need to know ! Forget about McGuinness & Co., having anything progressive to offer Ireland. Its the age old Me Fein stuff.
For any traditional Republican who put their heart into the struggle, for the last 40 years in particular, it is nightmarish stuff. Personally I have to re-assess my concept of Irish republicanism, as the vehicle, to correct the massive injustices of our modern world. To me it was a noble tradition, with the best Ireland had to offer, giving their lives for their cause. I cannot however afford to fool myself any longer, there is some inherent weakness in a structure, that has delivered the leadership betrayal, we have had so many times in the last century.
Structures and policies need to be put in place to protect, against any future revisionism, reformism or gombeenism, exploiting the commitment, energy and idealism of Irish youth and abusing it as has happened here.
Oddly enough, this blog has mentioned Eamonn McCann several times recently, he seems to be going in the right direction to me, he has also been consistent for a very long time. It was mentioned by Trotsky activists before, in Larkin and Connolly's time, that Stalinism and the Catholic church were sapping the spirit of Ireland, I tend to agree. So has emigration.
I also believe the slave mentality and two faced nature developed, over 800 years of slavery to the British and Rome, has prevented the necessary open and frank debate necessary, to develop Irish socialism, like Venezuela for example.
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