Divisions over Middle East policy have emerged in Labour and Fine Gael, with high-profile Dáil candidates in both parties dissenting from the official line, which is strongly critical of the Israeli role in the present conflict.
Two Labour councillors, Aidan Culhane and John McManus, have publicly taken issue with the position enunciated by foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins.
Mr Culhane is a candidate for Dublin South in the next election.
In Fine Gael, former TD Alan Shatter, who is hoping to make a Dáil comeback, has strongly opposed the line adopted by Mr Higgins and his own party's foreign affairs spokesman, Bernard Allen.
In turn Mr Shatter faced public opposition from his Fine Gael running mate in Dublin South, councillor Jim O'Leary, who maintained that Israel's response to Hizbullah attacks was grossly disproportionate and could be described as "state terrorism".
The divergent opinions were expressed in letters to The Irish Times.
Mr Shatter wrote last Saturday: "It is particularly depressing that some of those who proclaim themselves to be speaking on behalf of 'the left', such as Michael D, are attached to an analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and of the current conflict in Lebanon which largely coincides with that of the most extreme fundamentalist elements in the Middle East, which have rejected every reasonable attempt to bring about a permanent and peaceful resolution."
He was supported during the week by Mr McManus of Bray, the husband of Labour deputy leader Liz McManus. He said that some on the left displayed confusion and bad politics by ignoring the fact that both Hizbullah and Hamas were committed to destroying Israel. Dr McManus also criticised those on the left who ignored the "growing hold of theocracy, fanaticism and fascism on many Islamic people" and who identified as automatically progressive all those opposed to the US.
Mr Culhane, supporting the views expressed by Dr McManus, maintained the left was "too ambiguous about those who want to bring the region back to the Middle Ages and, in Iraq, those who attempt to foment civil war to create a viciously repressive state".
Mr Higgins responded: "Falling back on the cheap option of the easy accusation of anti-Americanism is something one might expect from Mr Alan Shatter, but not from a member of the left, even the revised left."
A spokesman for the Labour Party emphasised yesterday that Mr Higgins spoke for the party on matters of international relations.
"Labour was never an una duce, uno voce party but the official party view is the one expressed by Michael D," he added.
A Fine Gael spokesman had similar sentiments. "People in the party have personal views and are entitled to express them but the person who enunciates Fine Gael policy is the party's spokesman on Foreign Affairs."
