Donegal council district offices to fly Palestinian flag

The Palestinian flag is to be raised at Donegal County Council offices in Dungloe, following a motion tabled at the Glenties Municipal District this week.

Sinn Féin councillors have welcomed the support of their fellow members in the district for their proposal to fly the Palestinian flag at the council public services centre in Dungloe, in support of the 1,500 Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger striker while imprisoned in Israeli jails.

The gesture was proposed by Cllr. Marie Therese Gallagher and seconded by Cllr. John Shéamais Ó Fearraigh, and met no opposition at a district meeting on Tuesday.

After the meeting, Cllr. Gallagher thanked her fellow councillors for their support.

“I am proud of the decision by the members today of Glenties Municipal District to fully support this move, which will send out a message of solidarity to the hunger strikers involved and their families," she said.

Earlier this week, Dublin City Council approved flying the Palestinian flag at Dublin City Hall this month, a measure that faced resistance from the Israeli ambassador to Ireland.

“This is more than the mere flying of a flag, it is a symbol of support for the hunger strikers currently incarcerated in Israeli prisons who are protesting against the inhumane and degrading treatment which they are being forced to experience daily,” Cllr. Gallagher said. She said some prisoners have been detained without trial, “and are now in prison without access to proper medical care and are also facing torture”.

Cllr. Ó Fearraigh said, “Council officials have now informed us that the flag will shortly be ordered and, once delivered, the flag will fly proudly above the local council offices here in Dungloe in a sign of solidarity to the Palestinian prisoners.”