Palestine has long loomed large in the Political imagination of the Irish people. 

The flag itself can be found hanging in students' homes, bars, or murals while the Palestinian cause finds supporters on both sides of the political spectrum. Israel’s foreign affairs minister characterized Ireland as “one of the more challenging places in Europe” while The Jewish Chronicle even proclaimed it “The most anti-Israel country in Europe”. Israeli Heritage Minister, Amichai Eliyahu, recently faced backlash for suggesting that Gazans could go to "Ireland or the desert" 

Despite being thousands of miles away, and with a Muslim population of under 2%, Ireland is a country bound to Palestine through their shared histories. Suffering brutal oppression under British rule, the two countries have had many of the same tools wielded against them- often by the very same officials.

 When drafting the Balfour Declaration, British officials envisioned the creation of “a little loyal Jewish Ulster in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism”- referring to that area of Ireland still under British rule (and remaining so to this day.) Arthur James Balfour, the architect of said agreement,  became known as Bloody Baflour when serving as the chief secretary of Ireland, he ordered police to open fire on land reform protestors in Cork in 1887. The British home secretary, Herbert Samuel, who oversaw the internment of nearly 2000 Irishmen, allegedly rebels, ordered an airstrike on Palestinian rioters while Churchill deployed the controversial black and tans in mandatory Palestine.

These were an internationally infamous group who policed Ireland through violence, murder, and collective punishment. 1936 saw Britain introducing Administrative detention in Palestine, allowing prisoners to be detained for an indefinite period without a charge or trial, a law abused to this day in Israel. An equivalent law was enforced during the troubles in Northern Ireland, imprisoning thousands of Catholics for alleged links with the Irish Republican Army(IRA). When ten hunger strikers died in their protest for recognition as political prisoners, Palestinian prisoners in the Nafha Zionist prison smuggled out a letter of support. “We salute the heroic struggle of Bobby Sands and his comrades, for they have sacrificed the most valuable possession of any human being. They gave their lives for freedom.” 

In both countries, the native people were pushed off their land to make way for colonial settlers. When zionists accepted the 1937 British partition of Palestine to create a Jewish state, Irish Prime Minister, Eamonn De Valera recognized parallels with the 1919 partition of Ireland and took to the United Nations to denounce the cruelty of the plan. This would begin a pattern of Ireland being one of the few voices in Europe supporting Palestine. 

In 1980, Ireland was the first European country to recognize the Palestinian Liberation Community. In the same year, they issued a joint statement with Bahrain and became the first EU member state to declare that "a solution to the conflict in the Middle East had to be based on a fully sovereign State of Palestine, independent of and co-existing with Israel". In 2014, Ireland voted to officially recognize Palestinian statehood. 

Though Palestinian support is widespread across Ireland, it is not uniform in this support.  Northern Ireland is a separate legal entity from the Republic and is still a British territory. Though the majority of the region considers themselves Irish and are Catholic, a sizeable portion are of protestant British descent, with many of these not considering themselves Irish.  As a result, Northern Ireland is deeply divided. 

Traditionally, the bulk of Irish Israeli support in Ireland comes from the unionists. The Democratic Unionist Party, a Christian, right-wing unionist party, is staunchly pro-Israel. This is largely in reaction to the overwhelming Palestinian support from Republicans but also speaks to their view of the Republican freedom fighters as terrorists. They view themselves and Israel as legitimate states resisting terrorists as opposed to colonial forces facing uprisings from native populations. With only 66 Jews in Northern Ireland, any Israeli flags are more likely flown by unionists than Jewish people. 

In closing, Ireland’s relationship with Palestine runs deep, woven intricately through shared historical struggles against colonialism and oppression. From the echoes of British rule in both lands to the resonance of partition plans, Ireland's solidarity with Palestine has been steadfast.

The parallels drawn between the Irish and Palestinian experiences, from land dispossession to struggles for self-determination, have fostered a bond that transcends geographical distance. Ireland's unwavering support for Palestinian statehood, from early recognitions to official declarations, has set it apart within Europe.

Yet, within Ireland itself, divisions persist. The complexities of Northern Ireland's identity and its historical ties to Britain create a nuanced landscape where support for Israel often aligns with unionist sentiments, contrasting sharply against the prevailing sympathy for Palestine among Republicans.

In this intricate tapestry of allegiances and divergences, the relationship between Ireland and Palestine remains a poignant reminder of the intertwined nature of history, identity, and geopolitical dynamics. It is a relationship shaped by solidarity, political alliances, and differing perspectives, reflective of the multifaceted nature of global solidarity movements and the complexities of identity politics within a nation. As these ties endure and evolve, they underscore the enduring legacy of shared struggles and the quest for justice and self-determination on a global scale.

References:

- DUP Israel + 66 Jews claim

https://www.thej.ca/2021/02/18/testimonies-from-northern-irish-politicians-on-why-they-support-israel/

- Independent and co-existing with Israel

https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/our-work/casestudiesarchive/2014/july/situation-in-gaza-and-israel-irelands-position/

- one of the more challenging places in Europe

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/israel-s-foreign-affairs-minister-says-ireland-one-of-the-more-challenging-places-in-europe/ar-AA1j5Rxp

- Most anti-israel country in Europe
https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/all/russian-mobs-remind-us-that-jews-have-nowhere-to-flee-to-56YBQDUSFv0XuSnSrxEaHo

-(less than 2%)

https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpsr/censusofpopulation2022-summaryresults/migrationanddiversity/

-Little jewish ulster

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/winston-churchill-sent-the-black-and-tans-to-palestine-1.3089140

-Blackandtans

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/aftermath/af05.shtml
-Black and tans

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-60031090

-Eamonn De Valera

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/7/whats-behind-irelands-support-for-palestine

-Administrative detention

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/12/3/how-hunger-strikes-reveal-long-standing-ireland-palestine-solidar

-Hunger Strikes
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/12/3/how-hunger-strikes-reveal-long-standing-ireland-palestine-solidar

-Mughabbery Jail statement of support

https://samidoun.net/2017/05/irish-republican-prisoners-statement-of-solidarity-with-palestinian-political-prisoners/

-Irelandorthedesert https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/11/05/news/far_right_israeli_government_minister_who_

supports_dropping_atomic_bomb_on_gaza_said_palestinians_can_go_to_ireland_or_the-3751023/