Limited Quantity – Rights for Palestinians

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers wants justice for Israelis and Palestinians.

This means:

• Arab and Palestinian workers must have the same rights as Israeli workers.
• Israel must withdraw from the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza.
• All residents of Israel and Palestine must have the right to live in peace.
• The so-called security wall must be dismantled.
• Israeli demolitions of Palestinians homes, in both Israel and the West Bank must cease.

 

SAFETY

In 2003 Israel began building a six meter high separation Wall through the West Bank. Israel said they needed this apartheid wall for security. It hasn’t worked. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions noted that in 2005 the number of attacks in Israel were higher than in 2000.

Amnesty International said the Wall resulted in the takeover of Palestinian lands.

The International Court of Justice ruled the Wall illegal in 2004. Israel has continued to build the Wall.

 

MONEY

Israel has created a number of industrial zones in the West Bank. In these zones Israeli workers are protected by Israeli labour law and Israeli unions. The Palestinian workers in these same establishments are not covered by these laws. This results in Palestinian workers receiving less wages, and poorer sick leave, than their Israeli coworkers.

 

DISASTER AND CRISIS

Israel’s invasion of Gaza in December 2008 has resulted in a humanitarian crisis.

Children can’t go to school as some United Nations schools were bombed by the Israeli army.

Many Gazans are homeless, hungry, and sick.

 

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS

These are some reasons why CUPW supports boycott, divestment, and sanctions on Israel until that country abides by numerous United Nations resolutions.

An international campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions was successful in putting pressure on the apartheid Government in South Africa. This is why over 170 civil society organizations in Palestine issued the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions. This includes the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Union.

The Irish Trade Union Confederation supports this campaign. Recently, the Ontario Division of CUPE passed a resolution calling for a boycott of research at universities that directly or indirectly benefit the Israeli military.

 

PROVEN STEPS TO SOLIDAIRTY

You can help. Speak out against injustice. Educate yourself on these issues.

CUPE BC has published a booklet, “The Wall Must Fall”. It can be downloaded from http://cupe.ca/updir/WallMustFall2007-eng.pdf for English and http://scfp.ca/updir/Le_mur_-_finale1.pdf for French. This is an excellent resource.

We need to pressure Prime Minister Harper to support the United Nations resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Occupied Palestinian territories. From 1967‑2004 Canada consistently voted at the UN to support these resolutions. We need to tell Harper he should vote for justice and dignity for all the residents of Israel and Palestine.