Why would would you still have pro Palestinian marches apart from now instilling more fear into the Jewish community

No, of course not.

You are right that religious oppression does seem to key in Irish history.

But those who have oppressed others can become oppressed themselves. The fact that Islam aims to convert others doesn’t of course mean of course that those of that faith, or Christianity, can’t be oppressed themselves.

Yes I think so, but as religious oppression and sectarianism are significant factors in Irish (and British Catholic) history I find it interesting that to some extent, those are rather swept aside.

Don’t the Irish see it through a colonialism lens? Not a religious one when they consider situation in the ME?

Yes, good points, @SisterTeatime . Good points about the religion.
I would agree, but also how much general knowledge is lacking about the whole issue anyway. It's not good to inform yourself from a placard or a banner!

I wonder whether some of the ignorance or misunderstanding about the region is due - ironically - to the decline of Christianity in the UK. You can’t read the Bible without understanding some of the background, and obviously Christianity arose out of Judaism, so to speak, and Islam is an Abrahamic religion as well. ‘People of the book’. Christian antisemitism has a long history which perhaps - again ironically - has been a bit ‘lost’ since WWII and the Holocaust, with many in the UK knowing little about how embedded in our culture it was until recently.

I do see some broad parallels with the history of Ireland and the disenfranchisement of Catholics in the British Isles but I think it’s odd that Irish people are so keen to support a religion (Islam) that’s a proselytising one while heaping calumny on Judaism, where the ethnic and familial roots are more important and which doesn’t even want converts!

I intend no offence to people of any race, nationality or religion by the way, I just find these questions, and the roles of religion in society, very interesting. I agree with @Mildorado that I’ve often reflected how fortunate we are to be an island nation!

I mean, the political identity of Palestinians- as in the organised national movement- is fairly modern, but that’s true for most national identities. It doesn’t mean the people or their connection to the land are new. Families in Gaza and the West Bank have lived there for centuries. What’s “modern” is just the political framing, not the existence of Palestinians themselves.

This. Absolutely 🙏

Shame they cannot live in peace

True, it is very complicated. I started to read around it, and began to realise just how complex! I looked at all the maps with how the region has changed. I do think religion has been a driver for many.
I think we're lucky to live in an island nation, really.

I was thinking about that - but it’s not all about religion is it? It’s about land and the ownership of it. For the Palestinians - that’s a more recent ownership? Hence their outrage. But people need to move on and Israel needs to recognise rights of Palestinians too- including in the WB.

I don't know what thread or conversation you are talking about. I suspect it is to do with modern Palestinian political identity that is very recent. It doesn't negate genetic or cultural ties going back further. Two things can be true. As your article referred to no specific research and had no links or references its impossible to follow up.

Yes, I have already agreed with that. My point is that different religions have impacted changes in communities over the years. So it's really a false identification if they're the same ethnicity.
I think the problem is that too many people won't take religion out of it.

Yes, I see. Surely it's obvious that Jews always had a homeland there, though? There was a Jewish uprising against the Romans.
They surely must know about Jesus?!

Exactly- national identity shifts with history, but the people and their connection to the land have been continuous. That genetic study captures it perfectly- modern labels can’t erase thousands of years of shared ancestry.

You need to take the religion out of it- the genetic links are older than the current religions

I think we know what purpose it serves! The propganda has been very very effective. Its why the use of 'zionist' is so important because its a constant dogwhistle referring to Jews coming back, while ignoring the ones that remained.

Yet just on this thread people were trying to minimise the historical and cultural links of Palestinians to the region.

We need to stop thinking like this - it serves no purpose.

Yes, I don't even know what purpose the denial serves?
Someone on another thread said there were no Jews in the region until 1948. Extraordinary, so ignorant.

Yes, they must be the same people, in origin. I think the Muslims conquered the Levant in about 630AD.? Correct me if I'm wrong. It then spread across the region with the conquering armies of the Islamic Empire. So originally, yes, the same ethnically, I'm guessing.
Very interesting.

Yes, they are all Abrahamic religions with the same root. Christans, then later Islam followed on from Judaism The shared heritage and genetic research you reference makes you wonder why most of the muslim world (which largely came about through conquest) and the pro-Pal movement is so determined to delegitimise the Jewish ties to the land when they are so obvious and unarguable.

Thanks for sharing this- really interesting. Love the sentiment too.

That was a summary of the genetic research. I quoted it as I love the sentiment - there are people living in the region - be they Palestinian Christians or Muslims, or Israeli Jews, who have overlapping and longstanding genetic roots to the region that transcend modern borders.

The history and culture of the region is rich - for example food of Palestinian origin that is now also eaten in Israel.

And they share religious figures too?

Yes we all know the word is ancient, which proves nothing about modern Palestinian identity. The 'article' (no reference to who conducted the research, where, methodology etc no citations or links) actually rather proves the point about modern Palestinian identity being a recent invention even if shared genetic heritage goes back a long way, which is no surprise.

The word Palestine -for the region - derived thousands of years ago. Palestinians also have genetic links to the region that stem thousands of years and is shared by some Israelis.

I love the last paragraph of this link:
https://www.induslens.com/articles/dna-reveals-shared-roots-of-israelis-palestinians

“These findings provide a nuanced understanding of the genetic history in the Levant, illustrating a complex tapestry of ancestry that transcends modern political and religious boundaries. They highlight the shared genetic heritage among different groups in the region, offering a perspective that contributes to discussions about historical identity, heritage, and coexistence in the Levant.”