Soc Dems drop candidate with Israeli citizenship after objection to Palestinian flag usage

The Social Democrats have dropped their Dún Laoghaire election candidate a month out from polling day.

Businesswoman Orli Degani was selected to run for the party last July, but was dropped following a meeting with the party in late April.

Degani will remain on the ballot paper as an independent candidate after being dropped by the party, with a Social Democrats spokesperson confirming she would no longer be standing for the party.

First reported in the Irish Sun, Degani said she is a “German Jew with Israeli citizenship,” and said being dropped by the Social Democrats is “an affront to the values of equality and inclusivity.”

Degani stated she is seeking legal advice after being dropped by the Social Democrats.

In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, Degani said “when I decided to run for local government, I did so because I wanted to give back to the community that accepted me and my family with open arms, and I chose to do so within a party that I thought shared the same values of inclusion, acceptance, and support.”

She stated that Jewish people are feeling “more and more unwelcome and unsafe in Ireland and in Dún Laoghaire,” following the events of recent months.

“I was, and still am, concerned about people feeling like they need to hide their identity when they are walking around town, children feeling unsafe and bullied in local schools and universities, and about people online & offline using rhetoric that might eventually lead to violence.”

She did not elaborate further on the exact details of the meeting as she is currently seeking legal advice on the matter.

The Irish Times reported that Degani was selected prior to October 7th and her views were in line with the Social Democrats’ call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The report states that Degani’s candidacy became “unsustainable” after she objected to the Palestinian flag being used at party events and was not in favour of the stance adopted by the party in recent months.

“It saddens me greatly that taking a stand about local people’s right to be included and welcomed in our community has spiralled to me being de-selected by the Social Democrats,” she said.

“I will not be backing down however, and will instead continue my candidacy for the Dún Laoghaire LEA as an Independent. The issues I have championed on the campaign trail have not gone away, and I remain committed to being a voice for the people of Dún Laoghaire.”

The 7-seater Dún Laoghaire constituency has seen party candidates mired in controversy in recent weeks, with Labour dropping candidate Juliet O’Connell after she was found to have underpaid an immigrant worker at her business.