The ordeal of Irish language activist Sean O Muireagain in the Middle East earlier this month came while he was on a visit to forge links between Ireland and Palestine.
Mr O Muireagain – a member of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign – was held for questioning by the Israeli authorities after being mistaken for a republican bomb maker.
He was actually in Ramallah working on educational programmes, twinning schools and trying to organise exchange schemes for Palestinian children to come to Belfast.
His visit highlighted the strong links between nationalist Ireland and the Palestinian people.
But with Israeli flags having appeared in loyalist areas and Palestinian flags in republican areas in the north, are Irish people too quick to compare the Troubles to the conflict in the Middle East?
Adnan Shabab, of the General Delegation of Palestine in Dublin, said there was a clear sense of identification between the people of Ireland and Palestine.
"With the occupation of Palestine, any help from other countries has always been welcome and even a lot of Jewish people would side with us," he said.
"Irish people have a very good understanding of the Palestinian issue and with their history and experiences they appreciate our struggle.
"It is clear that they respect us and would stand up for us on human rights issues."
He said there were similarities between the two conflicts, but not "100%".
"Northern Ireland has seen a lot of injustice in some cases and (nationalist) people feel they have been neglected and looked down on," he said.
"In Ireland now people recognise the need to move forward with peace and reconciliation, while Palestinian people also want to come to a compromise and a resolution, although it seems the other side wants to dictate the outcome.
"There are obstacles in the process now and again in Ireland, but we have seen a lot of goodwill from both sides here and a desire to leave the Troubles behind.
"We welcome any kind of support from anybody regarding our own situation and it's clear that the people of Ireland are among many across the world who identify with the people of Palestine."
The Irish-Palestinian bond was in evidence following a specially arranged reception for the Palestinian Special Olympics team in Belfast at the end of June.
Team coach Marouf Shatara said the most amazing thing the team experienced was the warmth of the Irish welcome given to the athletes.
"Everyone has been very generous, very humble and very hospitable and our time here has emphasised the special relationship between our two countries," he said.
"If there is any opportunity for us to come back we will and we would also like to have the Irish team visit Palestine."
Ismael Al-Hinti of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign coordinated the reception with local community groups.
"They've been made to feel so welcome. It's their first time in Belfast and for most this visit was their first time in Europe. The team will be returning home with good memories," he said.
"The team has developed a real sense of friendship with the Irish people. Palestinian people find that quite often they are not welcomed, but to be received in this way here and to have everyone cheering for them has been so heartening and supportive."
Meanwhile, an official at the Israeli Embassy in Dublin urged Irish people to take a deeper look at both sides of the conflict.
Boaz Rodkin admitted that many Irish people seemed to have a keen interest in the Middle East peace process.
"Often, though, it is seen as a black and white picture and it is true that many in the republican movement tend to see the Israeli side in the black category and the Palestinians in the white category," he said.
"Some people are not well informed about the plight and suffering of the Israelis, who have been faced with terrorism for the past three years with the intifada.
"But, all in all, the government of Ireland is not anti-Israeli. They continue to support negotiations between the two sides and support the implementation of the road map to peace."
He said most Irish people would listen to the Palestinian point of view out of an instinctive support for 'the underdog'.
"The conflict in the north is superficially similar to that in the Middle East, but there are many differences.
"Palestinians have had the opportunity to reach a peace deal and leave the conflict behind them, beginning with a UN plan in 1947 to implement a partition deal, with the British mandate to be evenly divided between Israelis and Palestinians. And if you look deeper into Irish and Jewish culture, you will find a lot of similarities.
"We are seeing the revival of the Hebrew language, whereas you have a similar situation with the Irish language."
He said the term 'diaspora' – often mentioned in relation to Irish people across the globe – was used originally in reference to the dispersion of Jews outside Israel.
"Irish people could be more broad-minded and look at both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives," he said.
