Labour to hold emergency meeting amid 'fury' over Israel vote

Labour's Ivana Bacik, who is contesting the upcoming Dublin Bay South by-election for the party.

The Labour Party will hold an emergency meeting next week over the party's stance on Israel.

Four members of the party's executive requested the meeting after Labour TDs voted against an amendment to expel the Israeli ambassador from Ireland last week.

A senior source in the party told the Irish Examiner that members have "reacted with fury about the vote".

"A lot of members are pissed off about it, it transcends all categories but most vocally against it has been Labour Youth," the source said.

There's been a lot of disquiet but the feeling from HQ seems to be that this is a distraction from the (Dublin Bay South) byelection and basically people should mind their own business.

Members were then sent around "a briefing sheet", in the aftermath of the request by the executive members, "which they haven't done since we were in government in 2011, basically talking points how we should respond if we're asked about Labour's stance on the issue.

"People reacted with fury, some of it was stuff like: 'If we expel Israeli ambassador it would cut off diplomatic links' and they used the example of Northern Ireland, citing the peace process, which was laughable."

"Considering the party supported the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, this is something we should be on the right side of.

"The feeling was the motion would not pass anyway because the Government had the numbers to defeat it, but we could still be on the right side, people see it as a betrayal and it doesn't do us any favours, given the perception of the party anyway and the polling."

'Damaging' vote

The senior source said there were fears the vote could hurt Ivana Bacik's prospects in the upcoming Dublin Bay South by-election. "I think it will do damage to Ivana (Bacik) with young voters and that could be problematic.

"It shows how out of touch the people dealing with electoral strategy people are, it doesn't make any sense why you'd vote against an amendment like that."

A Labour spokesperson said the party "stands shoulder to shoulder" in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and "in opposition to the Israeli occupation and their policy of apartheid, annexation and ethnic cleansing".

“The Labour Party strongly supported the recent all-party motion which sent a unanimous message from the Dáil that Israel’s actions are unacceptable and which made Ireland the first country in Europe to declare that Israel's settlements in the occupied territories amount to annexation.

“Labour is an open and democratic party and members can always share their views and opinions within the party structures on issues of public concern.”