Campbell queries mayor's visit to Gaza

Sinn Fin Mayor Paul Fleming has visited Gaza at the invitation of the Muhammed Al-Farra, mayor of Gaza's second largest city - Khan Younis.

A recent Sinn Fin statement said that Mr Fleming would travel to Gaza to meet Mayor Al-Farra and discuss matters of mutual concern and possible co-operation.

"I am keen to visit Gaza and meet with the civic leadership of Khan Younis. The city has suffered greatly from the conflict and is struggling to provide a better life for its citizens.

"Khan Younis is the second city in the Gaza Strip. It is not much bigger than the City and region of Derry at about 130,000 residents. On top of this however the city also houses some 35,000 refugees living in extremely difficult circumstances," said Mr Fleming.

However, other Sinn Fin members travelled to Gaza, prompting Gregory Campbell to query the nature of the visit.

Another Sinn Fin statement said: "A number of Sinn Fin members will be travelling to Gaza to meet a range of Palestinian people in the aftermath of last year's Israeli invasion and the ongoing blockade of the territory.

"Sinn Fin MEP Bairbre de Brn is participating in a EU Parliamentarian Fact Finding mission, Derry Sinn Fin Councillor Gerry McLaochlainn is travelling on behalf of the Sinn Fin International Department while Derry Mayor, Councillor Paul Fleming is visiting the region at the invitation of Muhammed Al-Farra, Mayor of Khan Younis."

Gregory Campbell said: "The City Council were informed recently that the Mayor had received an invitation to go to Khan Younis. A report was tabled and during the discussion I indicated that there were serious international political issues at stake in Gaza and if the Council were going to take up this offer they could of course be in the position of being asked to do likewise in Israel or anywhere else.

"It then transpired that another local Sinn Fin Councillor was also going seperately at the same time to Gaza. At this point I demanded a recorded vote which was held with all unionist councillors present voting against, but the decision to proceed was carried with SF and SDLP councillors voting in favour.

"It now transpires the visit that took place also included Sinn Fin's Member of the European Parliament Bairbre de Brn and has been described in the local press as a 'Sinn Fin delegation'."

Mr Campbell told the Sentinel he believed that two issues arose from the visit: "Local ratepayers paying for a visit by the Mayor to an international trouble spot must be highly questionable and in addition if it is part of a Sinn Fin visit, given that Party's support for the Palestinian cause, the auditor should investigate the matter urgently."

In response to Mr Campbell's contentions a spokesman for Sinn Fin said: "Paul Fleming is in Gaza as Derry City Mayor and First Citizen on the invitation of the Mayor of Khan Younis which was accepted and approved by councillors. He is not on a Party delegation. I have no doubt that the majority of citizens would support the Mayor's acceptance of the invitation to see at first hand the conditions pertaining in the Gaza strip and to report back to Council and the people of Derry on what he has observed.

"I have no doubt that any impartial observer will find that the Mayor and Council were right to accept the invitation."

A spokeswoman for Derry City Council said: "The Mayor was invited by the Mayor of Khan Younis in Gaza Strip on an official civic visit. The invitation was brought before a Special Meeting of Council earlier this month at which approval to incur the expenditure involved was carried by 15 votes to 4."

The trip is expected to cost in the region of 1,000.

A spokeswoman for the Council also said: "That Khan Younis is the second largest city in Gaza and has suffered greatly with the loss of its major industries during years of conflict and its Council is keen to make contact with other municipalities throughout the world and in particular with cities in other regions that have suffered from conflict and are involved in a process of reconstruction such as Derry City Council. The Mayor is currently in Gaza and is expected to return in the coming days. The Council is empowered to meet the expenditure incurred in civic or courtesy visits undertaken by a councillor, whether within or outside the United Kingdom, by virtue of s.37 of the Local Government Act (NI) 1972. There is no statutory criterion in this legislation that requires a benefit to the city to be shown for the expenditure."