Kildare is to explore linking with Palestine
Kildare County Council is to explore the possibility of a twinning arrangement with a town in Gaza - to support the redevelopment of that town and to explore cultural links.
There was overwhelming support for a motion from two Fianna Fáil councillors - Naoise Ó Cearúil and Brian Dooley.
Members of the Kildare Palestine Solidarity Campaign were in the public gallery for the debate at a KCC meeting and they held aloft the Palestinian flag.
Cllr Dooley said he wanted Kildare to be a “local authority leader on this.”
He said the council should show its support because people there have been subjected to absolute devastation while Ireland “has done nothing in practice.”
He also said funding is available from the European Union to pursue this.
And he expressed disappointment with KCC’s initial response that this would not be done because “consideration must be given to common interests like geographical location, population size, economic and tourism activities including exploratory visits to confirm if the twinning arrangement is compatible.”
KCC official Marian Higgins said an independent community-led committee would need to be formed to manage the twinning proposal. She added if this committee wished to explore the issue then a presentation would have to follow, along with exploratory visits to “confirm if the twinning arrangement is compatible.” She pointed out that the advice of the government was not to travel there.
Cllr Ó Cearúil said exploratory work could be done “virtually” without the need for a physical visit. He pointed out that Kildare County Council is already twinned with Lexington in the US and Deauville, France.
Cllr Bill Clear said 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and “small steps make a big difference.”
Cllr Suzanne Doyle questioned the merit of the proposal because “we have little control over it” and “I’m not certain it’s the business of Kildare County Council.”
Cllr Doyle added: “We can’t do our own business effectively.”