A Northern Ireland council is to write to both the PSNI and the Department for Infrastructure calling for the removal of Israel flags from lampposts.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council voted in favour of calling for the flags removal after an Alliance councillor said he had been contacted by residents from the Hospital Road area of Omagh.
Councillor Stephen Donnelly told the council the erection of the Israeli flags led to “concerns of territorial demarcation” from the residents.
“There seems to be sluggishness to even engage in a process around the removal of items of this nature,” he said.
“There is a real perception that anybody can put up anything on a lamppost and it won’t come down.
“Essentially there is just a free rein where people can engage in criminal activity.
“This is playing out on lampposts in our community where chill factors are created because of a sense of trying to assert a particular political land-grab on particular areas.”
Mr Donnelly proposed writing to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Western Division and the PSNI to ask for the issue to be looked at.
Seconding, Sinn Fein councillor Dermot Browne said he is regularly contacted about “Israeli flags in Enniskillen but also UVF flags, sectarian posters and everything else”.
“We get the same stock response,” he continued. “PSNI won’t take them down, nor will Roads Service or anyone else.
“Clearly there are circumstances when they decide they must take items down because there are examples where confederate flags and swastikas come down very quickly.
“Somebody is making decisions on which flags are too contentious, and which are not contentious enough.
“I want to know how someone can think an Israeli or UVF flag is not contentious because that’s complete nonsense.”
DUP councillor Errol Thompson described the proposal as divisive, pointing out that flags have been an ongoing issue for years.
“I don’t think it’s ever going to resolve itself to be honest,” he said.
“We had the Flags and Emblems Commission, discussions, working groups and everything else.
“I have also received correspondence about Palestinian flags which people see as very aggressive, as well as offensive slogans on walls.
“I don’t know where the line is drawn in this. People are mentioning Israeli flags but there are a lot of Palestinian flags right across this district causing offence.”
UUP councillor Robert Irvine felt the problem “comes from all sides of the community”.
He added: “It’s wrong for us to highlight what’s coming from one side without acknowledging the other displays offensive signs as well.
“Stormont should be legislating on this and they can’t find agreement.
“We have to be unanimous in condemnation of all flags that bring harm and hurt to all and both sides of the community rather than singling out one.”
The decision to write to both the DfI and the PSNI was passed by a vote of 36 to 11 with one abstention.