TUC General Council Statement on Israel and Palestine
TUC GENERAL COUNCIL STATEMENT ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
The General Council reaffirm their belief that multilateral approaches and compliance in full with UN Security Council Resolutions by all parties concerned is the way forward to resolve conflicts. That is equally true in the context of Iraq as of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The General Council have repeatedly and utterly condemned acts of violence from whatever source in Israel and the Palestinian territories. In the name of humanity, as well as in pursuance of international law and agreements, this continuing vicious circle of attacks and retaliation must end.
The General Council repeat their call for vigorous action to be taken now to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and for full compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions, notably 242 and 338, including the creation of a viable Palestinian State alongside Israel. The first step must be an immediate termination of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and of the settlements policy.
The General Council insist that Israel should also respect international humanitarian law concerning the conduct of hostilities, which entails distinguishing military targets from civilians, whatever the circumstances. The policy of transferring relatives of activists from the West Bank to Gaza, demolishing their families’ homes, and confiscating or destroying their families’ property also contravenes international conventions.
The General Council equally insist that it is incumbent on the Palestinian Authority to live up fully to its responsibilities and act sincerely and resolutely to stop the terror bombings against Israeli civilians. However, Israel’s destruction of official Palestinian infrastructure can only undermine that objective.
The General Council will continue to work with colleagues in the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions to seek practical ways in which to support peace and reconstruction, and in particular extend help to the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions. In this context the General Council have welcomed the setting up by the International Labour Organisation of the Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection and have called on the British Government to contribute generously to it.
The General Council welcome the presence here of Shaher Saed, the General Secretary of the PGFTU, and have listened carefully and with deep emotion to his description of the terrible conditions being endured by Palestinian workers and their families, including the effects of curfews and border closures. They have pledged to give all possible assistance to the PGFTU.
The General Council are sorry that the President of Histadrut was not able to attend Congress as he had intended, having had urgently to deal with repercussions on Israeli workers of the economic crisis in Israel. The General Council extend their good wishes to Histadrut at this critical time.
The General Council will keep under review, in close consultation with the ICFTU and the wider international trade union Movement, all possible measures, including possible sanctions, to bring pressure to bear to assist in advancing the cause of peace. The General Council intend to mount a high-level delegation to the region as soon as practicable and their findings can be taken into account in determining future strategy.
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