WOMEN in Gaza have the right to live in dignity, a Palestinian trade unionist told her British counterparts today as she urged the movement to take action.
Speaking to the TUC women’s conference in London via video-link, Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions head of gender unit Asyha Hmouda said that 60,000 pregnant women are among those displaced in Gaza, preparing to give birth and “awaiting their fate in the knowledge that the occupation forces have threatened to destroy them.”
She also highlighted medical issues arising from water shortages and women miscarrying due to hunger.
Ms Hmouda said: “The occupation has been destroying and controlling all resources [in Gaza] including goods and services, electricity, roads and agricultural lands, destroying the economic infrastructure.
“This has [now] been followed by the genocide targeting women, children, the disabled, the elderly — even animals haven’t been spared.
“The Palestinian mother has endured what no mother anywhere else in the world has endured.”
Ms Hmouda called on the conference to launch a large prosecution campaign for Israel to be tried for its crimes against humanity and war crimes.
She urged Britain to issue an urgent call for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and for humanitarian aid to reach all civilians.
“Palestinian women are resilient, they’re resisting,” she said.
“But are you not women, mothers, children too? It is [their] right to [also] live in dignity.”
Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead at Israeli human rights organisation B’TSelem, highlighted the need to pressure the Israeli government to end its “revenge assault.”
She told the conference that the response of the international community in support of Israel was in stark contrast to that offered to Palestine.
“We have seen again and again the lack of willingness to [pressure] Israeli policymakers to change the policies that have led to this,” Ms Michaeli said.
Institute of Race Relations’ Sophia Siddiqui highlighted the duty of the movement to fight against the hate spreading through communities as well as attacks on democratic rights of protest.
“Anti-Muslim racism is combining with misogyny, with Muslim women targeted at two out of every three [racist] incidents,” she warned.
“But racial violence is not happening in a vacuum. [It is] fuelled by a toxic culture and inflammatory government rhetoric that presents solidarity with Palestine as an affront to British values.”
