The struggle for self-determination and freedom knows no bounds; it transcends geographical regions, religious movements, cultural identities, or even singular political ideologies. This reality is epitomized in the enduring tradition of unity between Irish Republicans and Palestinians against imperial domination.

Both the Irish and Palestinian people have endured foreign occupation, often concurrently at the hands of British imperialists, land dispossession, and a deliberate disregard for fundamental human rights.

Reflecting upon Israel's massacre of Palestinians, one is reminded of the brutal atrocities suffered by the Irish populace during the Irish War for Independence under the "Black and Tans" and on "Bloody Sunday" on January 30, 1972, at the hands of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

United in Armed Struggle

Both groups share a rich history of well-organized and highly effective armed resistance against their oppressors. The Irish Republican movement boasts the Irish Republican Army, tracing its roots back to the Irish Republican Brotherhood established in 1858 and still active today within various armed Irish Republican organizations, such as the Irish National Liberation Army and the Continuity Irish Republican Army. Likewise, the Palestinian people have endured an unceasing struggle since the theft of their nation and the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

The solidarity between these two distant revolutionary movements extends beyond symbolic gestures to material cooperation, which has had dire consequences for both the British and Israeli militaries. As early as the 1970s, the Palestinian Liberation Organization began providing arms and training to the Irish Republican and Irish National Liberation Armies. Even as recently as 2003, it is believed that Irish Republican militants were directly involved in marksmanship attacks that claimed the lives of 10 IDF soldiers in March 2002.

The unmistakable parallels between the ongoing oppression of these two nations, coupled with the substantial Marxist-Leninist legacies present in both the Irish Republican movement and Palestinian liberation struggles, leave no room for doubt as to why we witness extensive murals in the streets of Belfast and Derry (cities within Northern Ireland currently under British occupation) paying homage to and highlighting the unity between these two peoples.

Irish Republicans Rally for Palestine

In response to the Israeli Defense Force's genocidal military campaign launched on October 10th, the Irish Republican Socialist Party saw swift mobilization in support of their Palestinian allies, particularly the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but also in solidarity with the entire nation of Palestine and all those engaged in the struggle against Israeli aggression and occupation.

Demonstrations quickly sprung up, especially in the six counties in the north of Ireland that make up Ulster, which continue to be occupied by the British government. In response to the substantial and undeniable popular support for the Palestinian people, a movement has emerged along the occupation line, demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in the Free State due to Israel's ongoing and unapologetic human rights violations. These calls do not solely emanate from workers and grassroots organizers but also from prominent figures in Irish political office. Even the increasingly-compromised party Sinn Féin declared the Israeli ambassador should "no longer maintain diplomatic status in Ireland."

Given the historical precedence and the conspicuous outpouring of popular support, it is evident that when oppressed and occupied peoples, whether by the British or Israeli regimes, face violence, they unite in a common struggle against imperialist domination of their homelands. This is an enduring alliance against imperialism that is sure to strengthen in the crucible of the conflicts thrust upon these communities.