Unions around the world oppose Israel’s annexation plans
14 July 2020
29 May 2020, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Israel’s annexation of Palestinian lands cannot be allowed to proceed
Israel’s illegal move to annex swathes of Palestinian territory and deprive Palestinians of rights and livelihoods must be resolutely opposed by the international community.
“Israel’s government, currently led by Benjamin Netanyahu, wants to rush ahead with annexation before the US election because it fears a change of US administration would put an end to this appalling and dangerous plan. The international community must apply every pressure on Israel to stop in its tracks Netanyahu’s takeover of Palestinian lands,” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary.
The plan, supported by Donald Trump, has been fiercely criticised by his opponent in the election, Joe Biden, and the end of US support would be a massive blow to the strategy of Netanyahu, who has publicly stated that Palestinians “have to recognize that we are the ones dictating security rules over the entire territory”. Netanyahu is currently on trial in the Jerusalem District Court on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
The annexation would disconnect some 200,000 Palestinians from their livelihoods and vital water sources, agricultural lands would be subject to Israeli control and the annexation of illegal settlements around Jerusalem would end prospects of a Palestinian capital in the eastern part of the city.
“The proposed annexation plan is a stark violation of international law and unilaterally, de facto nullifies the prospects for genuine negotiations leading to the realisation of a two-state solution, based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state. This plan cannot be allowed to go ahead,” said Burrow.
8 July 2020, IndustriALL Global Union
Joint statement of IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union on Israel’s annexation of Palestinian lands
IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union jointly express their opposition and protest against Israel’s annexation of Palestinian lands in contradiction of the spirit and provisions of international law.
The worrying reports demonstrate that the annexation would disconnect some 200,000 Palestinians from their livelihoods and vital water sources and agricultural lands would be subject to Israeli control.
Our both organizations denounce the American Peace Plan (Deal of the Century) as it disregards internationally accepted and supported processes.
The proposed annexation plan is a stark violation of international law and unilaterally, de facto nullifies the prospects for genuine negotiations leading to the realisation of a two-state solution, based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state.
IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union believe that United Nations (UN) is the reference in settling and resolving international conflicts while meaningful peace can only be achieved if both the Israelis and Palestinians come back to the negotiating table.
Therefore, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe call on their affiliated trade unions to urge their governments and parliaments to put pressure on the government of Israel and the US administration, to adhere to the rules of international law and call for return to direct negotiations, as well as to demand a real investigation on the occupation’s crimes against the Palestinian people.
In addition, our both organizations, in support of the international community and the international trade unions’ statements, call upon all its affiliates and the wider labour movement to denounce the proposed illegal Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley.
IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union re-affirm their commitment to fight to promote respect for trade union and other human rights, freedom, peace, democracy, and social justice throughout the world.
2 June 2020, Canadian Labour Congress
Canada’s Unions call on the Canadian government to fight to stop the annexation of Palestinian lands
The Canadian Labour Congress condemns the recent unilateral move by Israel to annex parts of Palestinian territory. This move dismantles decades of work towards a just and negotiated settlement between Israel and Palestine.
Israel’s new coalition government has announced it will move forward with the process of annexing West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley as early as July.
The unilateral annexation of territory has been strictly prohibited under international law since 1945 when the Charter of the United Nations was adopted. Israel’s control of the Palestinian territories has been denounced as illegal under international law and in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the Geneva Convention.
Under Israeli occupation, Palestinians have been forced to live under heavy restrictions that limit their access to work, health, housing and social affairs. As Israel has expanded its settlements and built a separation wall around Palestinian lands – illegal acts under international law – Palestinians have been subject to evictions and displacement, confiscation of land, settler violence and loss of access to natural resources.
This annexation will have devastating social and economic implications. It is expected that this would disconnect around 200,000 Palestinians from their communities and livelihoods. It will also advance the annexation of Jerusalem and destroy the establishment of a Palestinian capital in the city, breaking the territorial contiguity between East Jerusalem and the West Bank. This contiguity is essential for the fabric of life for Palestinians.
The government of Canada must send a strong message in opposition to the illegal and unilateral annexation of Palestinian lands and officially recognize the State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders. Canada must consider a forceful response, including revisiting the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement and other bilateral agreements and the imposition of economic sanctions against Israel.
3 June 2020, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
COSATU condemns Israel impunity and annexation of Palestinian territories
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) condemns in the strongest terms, the planned Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories which is a blatant violation of international law. The war crimes that are currently being perpetrated against the people of Palestine, as well as the Israeli government’s decision to occupy more Palestinian land is abhorrent and harms the chances for regional peace in the near future. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will annex parts of the West Bank, including the strategic Jordan Valley and dozens of Jewish settlements, in line with Trump’s Mideast plan from the 1st of July 2020.
COSATU holds the view that this unilateral redrawing of the Mideast map will destroy any lingering hopes for establishing a Palestinian state and reaching a two-state peace agreement. In addition to this, the double standards and failure by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Israel for human rights abuses makes a mockery of the public international laws, and law of nations which stipulate the standards generally accepted in relations between nations.
It is disappointing to note that seventy-two years since the creation of the Israeli state in the Palestinian land; there are still no tangible improvements on resolving this illegal Palestinian occupation by Israel. The Zionist Israeli entity in cahoots with Anglo-American imperialism continues to wage war against the poor and innocent people of Palestine. This includes the deliberate bombings of ordinary people, assassinations, and murder of leaders, depriving entire populations of access to basic resources, denying them the freedom of movement, detention without trial and torture of thousands of Palestinians.
COSATU unequivocally advocates for a free Palestine and calls upon all progressive forces to act and fight against forces who continue to add fuel to Israeli-Palestine tensions. We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words, but to commit to political action, grassroots action, local action, and international action that will give us what justice requires – and that is a free Palestine.
30 June 2020, European Trade Union Initiative on Palestine
European Trade Unions Condemn the Israeli Government’s Annexation Plan
The Israeli government’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank are a devastating blow to Palestinian rights and the prospects of a two state solution, with a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. The proposals, based on US President Trump’s so called ‘Deal of the Century’, will result in huge swathes of Palestinian land, currently under military occupation, including the Jordan Valley and the illegal settlements, unilaterally declared part of Israel, in violation of decades of UN resolutions and international law.
For over half a century the Palestinian population of the West Bank have endured a vicious system of military law, which has undermined their rights, including freedom of movement, decent work, health, education, water and other public services.
The international community must respond immediately to the call of Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations including trade unions for ‘effective measures’ by nation states to prevent annexation.
As a movement of European trade unions, committed to human and workers’ rights and international law, we urge the European Union and European governments to:
Suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, until the Israeli government complies with its clauses on human rights and withdraws its annexation plan;
Suspend the arms trade with Israel;
Impose a ban on trade with the illegal Israeli settlements and complicit companies;
Exclude Israel from European Research Programs.
Additionally we call on the trade union movement to comply with the call of Palestinian trade unions, and Palestinian civil society, to ‘do no harm’, and therefore in terms of their own procurement and investments policies to ban companies profiting from or in any way complicit with illegal Israeli settlements.
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine Steering Committee:
UNISON (The Public Service Union) – UK,
Fagforbundet (Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees) – Norway,
Union syndicale Solidaires – France,
La Centrale Générale-FGTB – Belgium,
CNE – Belgium,
ACOD Culture – Belgium,
FORSA (Public Service Union) Ireland,
Unite the Union – Ireland,
Trade Union Friends of Palestine – Ireland,
ELA – Basque Workers Solidarity – Basque Country,
LAB – Basque Country,
Confederacion Intersindical Galega – Galicia,
Intersindical Valenciana – Valencia,
Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya – Catalunya,
Palestinawerkgroep-FNV – the Netherlands
