PALESTINE - a trade union issue · 2019-08-07 · Palestine Solidarity Campaign The Wall • 703 km Long • 8 metres High • $4.7 million per Km. • The route of the wall has taken

PALESTINE - a trade union issue

Presentation to

Northern Region TUCAssembly RoomsNEWCASTLE

Palestine Solidarity Campaign www.palestinecampaign.org

Palestine


Who are the Palestinians?

• 3.8 million in West Bank and Gaza• 4.6 million refugees - Jordan, Lebanon, etc.• 1.2 million (approximately) Palestinians

live inside the “48” borders - i.e. Israel. • 88% are Muslims and 12% are Christians


What is Palestine?


The Wall

• 703 km Long• 8 metres High• $4.7 million per Km.• The route of the wall

has taken land and split villages and families

• Illegal and condemned by the ICJ and UN


The Wall - the route

• Does not follow the ‘67 Borders

• Annexes a further 47% of West Bank

• Nearly 16% Palestinians “outside”

• 24 tunnels being built


The Wall - House Demolitions


The Wall Crossings and Checkpoints


The Wall - Qalandiya Crossing


The Wall - Daily Life


The Wall Land Theft - Jayyus


Consequences of the Wall Villages separated from their lands


The WallBarta West and Barta East

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


Zawiya village protests the Wall


Illegal Settlements on Palestinian Land


Palestinian Economic Situation

Palestinian Authority: 3 major sources of funding.• Palestinian Revenues collected by Israel - $65m

month.• Funds from international community - $34m

month• Domestic revenues $35m monthPA employs 152,000 Palestinians. 11,000 in health

sector, 39,000 in education, 73,000 security.


• BUDGET (Revenue $ Billions) 48.4 1.23• GNI per capita in 2006: $18,620 $1,120• UNEMPLOYMENT 9% 40%• GDP per Head $26,200 $1,500• HDI Ranking (of 177 countries) 23 100• US AID ($ per Day) 7million 0• POLITICAL PRISONERS 1 10,756• UN RESOLUTIONS 65 0

Comparisons: Israel Palestine


Comparisons: Israel Palestine

• NUCLEAR Weapons 400 (Est.) 0• TANKS 4,500 0• ARMOURED Vehicles 10,000 0• HELICOPTERS 130 0• JET FIGHTERS 500 0• WARSHIPS 50 0• ARMED FORCES 168,000 0• MILITARY ($ millions) 10,000 300


The human cost of occupation

• Between September 2000 and December 2006

• 4,046 Palestinians killed and 31,168 wounded

• 1,017 Israelis killed and 7,633 injured.

• 606 Palestinians killed in 2006 - 3 times previous year. 141 children.

B’Tselem


The Palestinians right to resist Aboud village demonstrates


The Palestinians right to resist Palestinian Trade Unionists at Hawwara


Life in Gaza

• 1.5 Million inhabitants• 1.1 million live on food aid• 80% live below poverty line• 95% industrial operations are

suspended• Unemployment more than 50%


Gaza - today

Israel remains the occupying Power in Gaza despite its claim that Gaza is a “hostile territory”.

This means that its actions must be measured against the standards of international humanitarian law and human rights law. Judged by these standards Israel is in serious violation of its legal obligations. The collective punishment ofGaza by Israel is expressly prohibited by international humanitarian law and has resulted in a serious humanitarian crisis.John Dugard UN Special Rapporteur 28/01/08


Israel - a view from South Africa.

• All this (Apartheid) was a Sunday picnic compared to what is happening to the Palestinians. I say with confidence that Israel is an apartheid state.

• Why are all the things done to apartheid South Africa not being done to Israel?

• The trade union movement must move beyond resolutions, otherwise history will look back on us and spit on our graves.

Willy MadishaPresident, COSATU (11 March 2006 PSC TU Conference)


Hopes for Peace? Unity and Solidarity


“(Israel) is a force in the Middle East that actually benefits us. If there were not Israel with that force, we’d have to supply that with our own, so it isn’t just altruism on our part.”

President Ronald Reagan2/2/1981

Why does the US back Israel?


What do the Palestinians want?

• The Right to Self-determination• The end of the illegal occupation of the

West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem• The right of Return for Palestinian Refugees• The dismantling of the Wall


What can we do?

• Find out more - Get involved!• Affiliate your union branch and region• Organise a meeting and invite a speaker/show a film• Join the Palestine Solidarity Campaign• Organise a delegation to Palestine• Lobby your MP and MEP• Join 10th May Demonstration• For details about PSC - www.palestinecampaign.org


Palestine


Documents

PALESTINE - a trade union issue · 2019-08-07 · Palestine Solidarity Campaign The Wall • 703 km Long • 8 metres High • $4.7 million per Km. • The route of the wall has taken