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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Rory Carroll and Lisa O'Carroll

‘It’s part of our psyche’: why Ireland sides with ‘underdog’ Palestine

A man with a suitcase and hoodie looks at a mural by the artist Emmalene Blake of a girl wearing a headscarf and hugging a Palestinian flag with her head bowed
A pro-Palestine mural by the artist Emmalene Blake in the Harold's Cross area of Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

The video clips have pinged around the world on social media eliciting applause, anger and a puzzled question: why are Irish politicians so outspoken about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza?

The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, described the assault as “approaching revenge”, the foreign minister, Micheál Martin, called it “disproportionate” and opposition politicians went much further in calling it mass murder. Some wore the keffiyeh in parliament.

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