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!!
