Celtic fans urged to wave Palestinian flags at match against Tel Aviv club

As one who didn't go to the game .. but the STUC had my full support.. at least the TV cameras did show a few Palestinian flags being waved... but the real issue is. why should showing support for the victims of Zionism bring fear to Jews? To days heading in an article in "The Scotsman" Ambassador: Scotland is a hotbed for Israeli-haters, .. oh really . and why should that be, one wonders.

to tell the Middle Eastern countries they have to play Israel or get out.

Why is a Middle Eastern country in the Europa League ?

To Chris Linthwaite "It is called democracy. Maybe Israel should try it sometime" What supercilious ignorance! Blindly accusing israel and Jews always is not an expression of democracy. But; perhaps you should remember that Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East. And despite the fact that Hamas rockets last January landed only a couple of miles from my house, I haven't yet heard a word of support from you. Perhaps that would be too democratic for you? Eric Shinwell

many of the members of the Israeli team are of Palestinian heritage? How similar would waving a Palestinian flag at this game be to waving an ANC flag at a 1976 soccer game involving South Africa?

Well done the Scottish TUC. If the Palestinians do not have the freedom to travel and compete for their country and teams because of the Israeli occupation, then it is hypocritical to demand that those same occupiers, when they come to our shores, should be free to play unbothered by protests. Demonstrations worked over South Africa. It is time to make them work for the Palestinians. Fraternising with a nation state that is a multiple and systematic violator of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is disgraceful.

Hi Axel, don't think you answered my question. If you carry the flag of the weaker party only, it automatically means you support them only and there is no need for a sham talk of "supporting peace" though this is not a prefect example: imagine someone during the 80's saying I support peace in Northern Ireland, yet he carry the IRA flag all over Britain claiming "I'm supporting peace by supporting the 'weaker party'". Would YOU say he is supporting peace??? Besides, are you saying because Israel is militarily strong, it therefore needs no consideration of its concerns? it's needs no support to continue the process?

Mixing Soccor and politics is amost as bad as mixing religion and politics!

You are talking through a hole in your hat. There are a good number of Jews who support Glasgow Celtic football club. There is even a non-executive director of the club and they are firm supporters of Israel. I read some time ago that if Israel was in Antartica, the STUCFP would support the penguins.

"We hope that Celtic fans will join with us in a demonstration of support for a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine based on a secure Palestinian homeland living side by side with Israel," Well ok , good, who says that's not what Israelis want ? Only recently again Netanyahu declared the Israeli policy for two states ! To the Scottish Union : You could have said also a secure Israel (why say only secure Palestine), and then ask the same of the Palestinians : ask them to educate their children toward peace and not toward conquest of Israel...........unless these scots are also in favour of one Arab Palestine and no Israel... Beware of the Pakistani Scots ! They could be behind this move . Scotland : dont' fall in the so-called Palestinian misery trap cry. They receive billions from all over the world but only the 'inner circle' benefits. It might all be revealed by Switzerland.... To this Scottish Union : please do more research before siding with the Palestinian Mafia

"And to show support for peace what do you do? carry the flag of one of the parties right?" It is not simply "one of the parties": It is the weaker party which is dependent on the goodwill of the other party to lead a decent life. Siding with the weak one is not bias. It is in acknowledgement that the strong one does not need support.

'We hope that Celtic fans will join with us in a demonstration of support for a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine based on a secure Palestinian homeland living side by side with Israel' And to show support for peace what do you do? carry the flag of one of the parties right? It would have made more sense if they said what really was on their mind: come out and support Palestine full stop. herein lies why many Israelis do not believe the EU are geninue about the peace process. Like a lot of posters here, they talk of peace and human rights when they are actually supporting one party. It's your right to support anyone but why pretend you are trying to be impartial?...

I remember Hezbollah flags been flown when Liverpool played Hapoel Tel Aviv at Anfield during Lebanon2. There were also chants of Hezbollah at the start of the second half. It is called democracy. Maybe Israel should try it sometime Now if there had been calls not to allow the game to go ahead. Different matter completely as Sport and Politics should never mix.

I beg to differ. Showing your support for the right of the Palestinian people to self determination by holding a Palestinian flag is not bigotry. It would be if supporters of either side would call each other names, just because of their catholic or jewish background. The supporters of Celtic are free to follow the advice of STUC or not.

...at a time when the rest of Scottish society is trying to stamp out bigotry (including the trade union movement), here's the Scottish Trade Union Congress inflaming it. Shame on them...

The vast majority of Celtic fans are not impressed by this cack-handed attempt by the STUC to hijack them as a 'rent-a-mob'. http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/2009/12/stuc-looking-for-rentademo.php