Could Labour and Sinn Fein join up.

There has been much talk of late of Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail getting in bed together. But what of the more obvious join up of Sinn Fein and Labour they both already agree in awarding terrorism.

Recently Labour brought forward a motion.

That Seanad Éireann,

—noting with alarm the deteriorating relations between Israel and the Palestinian people,

—convinced that violence in this situation is both morally unjustified and politically counter productive,

—nevertheless recognises the disproportionate burden of suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people by the actions of the Government and armed forces of Israel and the clear signs that the democratically elected government of the Palestinian territories has made considerable concessions to Israel and therefore calls for:

1) an immediate relaxation of the EU embargo on dealing with the democratically elected government of Palestinian Territories or failing that, the application of appropriate sanctions against Israel in the light of its repeated and persistent defiance of UN resolutions and breaches of international law,

2) an immediate and unequivocal cease fire by all parties to the conflict, and

3) immediate negotiations between Israel and the democratically elected government of the Palestinian Territories leading to an internationally recognised Palestinian State on the entire territory occupied in 1967 with its capital in Jerusalem.”

SO lets look at this motion. Firstly the noting with alarm bit. What started all this in Palestine? Islamic terrorists kidnapping an Israeli solider. Now does anyone notice that when Labour talk about America kidnapping people to render them to Gitmo. It is wrong (and it is) yet when it is carried out by a terrorist group that targets civilians. (The fact that this guy was a solider is a bit of unusual for Hamas) they believe they should be rewarded.

Firstly the embargo was put on Hamas because they are a terrorist organisation they agree with killing people. They now agree with kidnapping someone. Or to put it in terms that might make Labour angry. Hamas approve of rendereding a prisoner. So basically a group carries out a terrorist act and Labour believes they should get what they want. That certainly is one area that Labour and Sinn Fein can agree on.

On point two I have no problem with unless of course the return of the solider is part of that agreement which seemingly happened after the motion.

On point 3 I have to say this is very funny. “negotiations between Israel and the democratically elected government of the Palestinian Territories” excellent stuff couldn’t agree more the table is a better way then rendering to solve problems. However they also say “with its capital in Jerusalem” now one of the very major issues if not the biggest with the middle east is the issue of Jerusalem. Yet Labour seem not to believe that this the major issue of the conflict should be negotiated that it should be dictated to the Israeli people that they are going to lose the thing that means the most to them. How very democratic. Now I don’t pretend to know the solution to the Middle East but one thing I do know is that the situation with Jerusalem is going to have be negotiated not set as a pre-condition.

Now I could go into the Left wingness of Labour and Sinn Fein and where they agree or indeed the Offical IRA connections to Labour. To suggest some future coming together but I think that Labour belief in awarding terrorism and Sinn Fein support for terrorism. Suggest that the moral barrier (terrorism) that blocks Sinn Fein from the other parties in the Dail may well be a smaller barrier for Labour.