ACTIVISTS from the Scottish labour and trade union movement came together today at a conference in Glasgow to fight for peace in Palestine and beyond.

Organised by Stop the War Scotland, the World at War event brought dozens of campaigners from diverse groups together to analyse the imperialist basis for present conflicts in the Middle East and beyond, and how the march to war can be countered. 

Stop the War Coalition founding member Lindsey German told the conference: “This idea that Israel is defending itself against terrorism is one of the biggest falsehoods of our age.

“None of this started on October 7: it started with the Balfour declaration. 

“It's not a war between Israel and Hamas: it’s a war between Israel and the Palestinians.”

RMT regional organiser Gordon Martin told comrades of the role unions must play in resisting the war economy.

He said: “Some of the major trade unions in this country will not even talk about what’s going on in Gaza and beyond, but I’m saying here today that a general strike is where we should be. That's where we should have been 13 months ago.”

Stop the War Glasgow’s Coll McCaill said: “The Scottish government continues to fund already profitable arms companies, £300,000 to BAE Systems as recently as April through Scottish Enterprise, while in Glasgow we're going to lose 450 teachers over the next four years.

“The main enemy, as always, is at home.”

Communist Party of Britain’s international secretary John Foster said: “We are beginning to get a turning point in attitudes.

“It is absolutely vital we do step up the movements of solidarity and exposure of imperialist politics.

“That’s not just in the Netanyahu government but also the United States and people who still back it, like our governments.”