The Ulster Banner hangs at a window on Shankill road in West Belfast
The Ulster Banner hangs at a window on Shankill road in West Belfast August 18, 2014. It has become a symbol of Ulster loyalism. In Belfast, the flags of Israel and the Palestinians are potent symbols of conflict, but they divide Catholics and Protestants rather than Jews and Muslims. In the complex web of alliances that underpins Northern Ireland politics, the star of David has been adopted by pro-British Loyalists, mainly Protestants, many of whom sympathise with Israel's struggle against Islamic militants. Flying the green, black and red of flag of the Palestinian territories, meanwhile, is a sign of support for Catholic Irish Nationalism and their aspiration for a united Ireland against what many see as a British occupation. The flags are among dozens that have been adopted by the working class Catholic and Protestant areas that have for decades been at the focus of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Picture taken August 18, 2014. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton