Palestinian flag to fly over Edinburgh council building now

I'm with you on that Elegran and would be happy to see the flag of Israel and Palestine being flown side by side, but not happy with either being flown separately.

I think to fly both flags together, side by side, if they feel they must, is the better, the only option.

I agree it should be both flags or none. My own preference would be for none.

I think one flag flying over one building is the least we can do to show some support for Gaza. If you think we are not biased in this conflict, look at the amount of arms we have supplied to Israel, add to that the support provided to them everyday by UK businesses, and our failure to insist that UN mandates on Gaza are enforced, and you realise, we are. One flag, one building, one day is so little. I am afraid they don't have to sit down and talk much as I wish they would.

I would agree with bags, here.

I too agree with 'bags' I think we all have our own opinions over the situation in Gaza, and I think that to fly one flag, which ever one it is is provocative. Fly both or none at all, preferably none!

It's weird. Will Scotland be willing to put their money where their mouths are if they get devolution? Have they really thought this through?

Another reason for the 'no' vote I would think.

Well, I suppose if the Council is hell bent on flying a flag, then why not just stick to the DEC flag/banner and leave the national flags out of it.

And why not add Syria alongside Gaza.

Jings It is Edinburgh council, not the Scottish government.

Have other councils in England/Wales done this flag-flying thing?

I see these actions as probably borne out of the frustration of seeing the UN and our own and other governments being unwilling to condemn the illegal actions of Israel, including the current and past indiscriminate bombing of Gaza. I think, though, to disregard the fact that some may not agree with an organisation taking it upon itself to represent the views of all its members, may alienate those who might otherwise be supportive.

I feel it is much better for individuals to show their own opposition to what I think can justifiably be described as the apartheid laws of Israel. They can do this by flying a flag or putting a poster outside their own homes (which we have done), by supporting the campaign to boycott Israeli goods and by being unembarrassed to say what they think if the subject is raised by those around them.

Exactly. It is a decision by an organisation representing a whole large and diverse city to proclaim what they wish to, without regard for those who may not wish to associate themselves with their actions.

Individuals can make their protests felt in their own way.

Ten days ago the suggestion was turned down. www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-turns-down-pleas-to-fly-palestinian-flag-1-3509393

There seems to be a change of mind, and they are no longer "showing support for those affected by the violence while maintaining political neutrality."

None - it is not appropriate.

Well Elegran, in Bradford we've had George Galloway MP stating that "his" city is an Israel free zone: "We don’t want any Israeli goods. We don’t want any Israeli services. We don’t want any Israeli academics. We don’t even want any Israeli tourists… We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel."

And yes, the Palestinian flag was flown over the Town Hall.

The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Gaza appeal flag and phone number are more appropriate.

Am I not getting this somewhere? I thought a DEC flag was going to fly alongside the one for Palestine. So now it seems to have been decided that in the interests of political neutrality this flag will no longer be flown, so why not keep the Dec one which is non-political but humanitarian.

X-ed posts Elegran

Other way round, FFin Ten days ago they decided not to fly the political flag, just the humanitarian one, but it was to be ratified later. The latest news is that the ratification seems to have been derailed, so now they are to fly the DEC flag plus Palestinian one.

I can't yet see details of how the decision was changed, who said what, etc.

Thanks for the clarification Elegran. It really does beggar belief that if Edingburgh Council cannot get their act together about deciding what to do, then thank goodness none of them are involved in any peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Always interesting when one sees in action a microcosom of the bigger picture.

Here we are. Point 3 does call on all sides to work for peace, but in my view flying just one flag is not calling on all/both sides to work for peace. It is labelling that one preferred side as the one totally "in the right" and the other as totally "in the wrong". Two flags or none would have been politically even-handed, and not a means to further polarise an already volatile situation, and inflame the conflict even more.
In fact the whole report demonstrates the partisanship of the meeting. Not helpful.

"9.2 By Councillor Booth – Flying the Palestinian Flag from the City Chambers
“Council:
1) Notes the continued conflict in Gaza, which has lead to the deaths of 67
Israelis and more than 1800 Palestinians, including many innocent
civilians, and which has included attacks on UN schools which have
been labelled a moral outrage and a criminal act by Ban Ki-moon, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations;
2) Notes the appeal recently launched by the Disasters Emergency
Committee (DEC), comprising 13 UK charities, to help the people of
Gaza, including the estimated 65,000 people who have seen their
homes severely damaged or destroyed and the estimated tens of
thousands who urgently need food, water and medical care;
3) Believes the ongoing conflict is unacceptable, condemns any ongoing
violence and calls on all sides to work for peace and a stable two-state
solution in Palestine;
4) Agrees to fly the Palestinian flag from the City Chambers in a gesture
of solidarity with the people of Gaza wherever this does not clash with
the pre-existing flag flying programme;
5) Agrees to ask the Council Leader to contact the Disasters Emergency
Committee to explore any further measures the Council can take to
support the people of Gaza and support the DEC appeal.”

No flags at all Elegran in my view.
Maggiemaybe not a surprise that Bradford Town Hall is flying the Palestinian flag, the council there is almost solidly made up of Asian Muslims. Only glad they are not flying the Isis flag[Galloway would if he thought he could get away with it, the man is seriously weird.]

Thanks E.

I have tweeted them - "@Edinburgh_CC Fly Palestinian AND Israeli flags or neither. Show flags together just as they must live together - both must work for peace."

((Twitter name @edincitizen)

Ben Judah writes in the Sunday Times today he is frequently trolled on Twitter with comments such as "Mate I f**** love Hitler". He states shrill lefties and Islamist hoodies have brought anti-semitism back to the streets of Britain. His article "Bellow away, bigot, You don't scare me" picks out George Galloway's shameful so called "Israel Free Zone" stance which under pins this overt racism towards one group of people. GG might say this is directed at Israel, but he will know full well that the sort of people who espouse this sort of rhetoric would be quite happy to target the Jewish communities in our country irrespective of what their attitudes towards the Israel/Palestine crisis might be. He cynically courts just one group of people, no doubt in his sycophantic mind he can find some justification for the savage Jihadist ISIS cause. Lets not forget that this is the same tosser who pretended to be a cat lapping up milk on national tv. So his judgement is clearly not that great.

It is completely unacceptable for town councils to be flying the Palestinian flag they are there to represent all of the people living in their borough and should not express such partisan views.

Similarly, lets not forget the same rabble who turn up in supermarkets demanding the removal of Israeli produce that sometimes also leads to supermarkets removing Kosher foods as well. Blatant discrimination! The general public is quite capable of making their own decisions as to what products they wish to boycott they don't need these unofficial spokespeople to do it for them.