DELEGATES at TUC Congress voted unanimously today for a motion calling out the Labour government’s failure towards Palestinians.
Submitted by the National Education Union, the motion called for the suspension of all of Britain’s arms licences to Israel following the government’s decision to suspend only 10 per cent.
Welcoming the unanimous support for the motion, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal said: “The suspension of a small fraction of arms exports to Israel is a tap on the wrist with permission to continue — the government has been scrambling to reassure this genocidal Israeli government of its continued support.
“The time for half measures and hypocrisy is over.”
The motion also called for sanctions against those who have made statements inciting genocide against Palestinians.
An amendment from Unison urged the government to ensure quality work and public services are embedded in the reconstruction of Gaza.
Speaking at Congress, Unison’s Liz Wheatley said: “Many of us here will have seen how private companies circle like vultures when somewhere like Gaza is rebuilt.
“Because it will be rebuilt, and we call for that to happen by all quality public services.
“Companies like Caterpillar, that have helped try to destroy Palestine, cannot be allowed to profit from its rebuilding.”
UCU Liverpool branch secretary Saira Weiner, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, said: “They will be turning in their graves at the complicity shown by many governments — our government, and the US government.”
She called on delegates to join a Palestine protest held in Liverpool during the Labour conference this month.
The motion also called for a renewed focus on advancing boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
At a PSC fringe on Tuesday evening, BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti said: “Ending complicity in grave crimes is not heroic. It is not charitable.
“It’s a fulfilment of a profound moral obligation to do no harm.”
He told trade unionists not to “fall into complacency” and urged them to “do better.”
Congress also backed an emergency motion from the UCU warning of the risk that the Gaza war spreads across the Middle East.
The motion condemned Israel’s attacks on Syrian, Lebanese and Iranian territory and won TUC support for a national workplace day of action in support of an immediate ceasefire.
