Full amended motion agreed in 2023
Solidarity with Palestine
STUC expresses its shock and outrage at the ongoing siege and bombing of Gaza by Israel. Gaza is a tiny territory densely populated by over two million Palestinians almost half of whom are under the age of sixteen. Israel has cut off food, fuel and water to a population that is already undernourished by years of a semi-blockade. Israel is now demanding a million civilians move in 24 hours before it launches a major offensive with tanks and troops.
These actions: collective punishment, mass bombing of civilians, siege and now potential ethnic cleansing into the south of the Gaza strip and Egypt, are war crimes committed by the Israeli state. We condemn the Tory government’s declared support for these crimes and the Labour leadership’s endorsement of them. All this is done with the spurious claim that Israel is acting in “self-defence” – in fact, it is acting to destroy the Palestinian resistance at any cost in the lives of civilians – men, women and children.
We do not endorse the atrocities committed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad against Israeli civilians and young people in their incursion into Israel but we recognise the boiling rage brought about by decades of occupation, discrimination, arbitrary detention and killings – the de-facto establishment of an apartheid-like state by Israel in occupied Palestine. We do not equate the oppressor with the oppressed and continue to support the Palestinian resistance and its right to defend itself against the Israeli Defence Forces and armed settlers by all available means under international law.
Actions:
- Affiliates to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and requests a speaker for an open meeting discussion
2. Supports and encourages its delegates and wider membership to attend all protests against the siege and war against Gaza
3. Calls for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of all blockades, the return of all stolen and occupied land to the Palestinians, the implementation of full parity of all civil and human rights, the dismantling of all the apparatus of apartheid, and a just and lasting peace acceptable to the Palestinian people.
4. Supports and promotes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel
5. Demands the government end arms sales to Israel
6. Supports the direct action taken by Palestine Action to prevent the delivery of weapons to Israel and makes a donation of £50 towards the group’s legal costs
7. Opposes any moves by the Tory government to legally restrict shows of solidarity with Palestine
8. Encourages trade unionists to send this resolution to their branches, regions and NECs. calling upon them to issue statements and arrange discussions in support of Palestine as well as organise and mobilise for a variety of actions
9. Calls on all affiliate organisations including LP members to put this resolution to their branches and CLPs
10. Agrees to write to Southwark MPs and councillors about this motion and demands they speak up and use their resources as they have around the Russian invasion and organise lobbies of those who do not speak up against the war/siege
11. Sends a donation of £500 to Medical Aid for Palestinians
Since this motion was agreed STUC has been actively involved in mobilising for protests locally and initiating actions around this motion.
Southwark Trade Union Council 