Thursday 22 April 2010

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Media Release

The Scottish Trades Union Congress reiterated its commitment to a campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel at it annual meeting in Dundee yesterday, just days after a BBC poll described international attitudes to the country as “widely negative”.

The motion, presented by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), also slammed Gordon Brown”s government for being “complicit in allowing Israel to continue to act with impunity”, and “condemned” Israel”s trade union body, Histadrut, for its support of last year”s attacks on Gaza.

During a meeting with Histadrut leaders in Israel last year, STUC delegates had been surprised to discover the union had endorsed Israel”s attack on Gaza, describing it as “an act of justifiable self-defence”. The United Nations and human rights groups say that civilians made up most of the 1400 Palestinian fatalities, while most of the 13 Israeli dead were combatants, including 4 killed accidentally by their own troops.

Jim Malone, FBU Regional Organiser, welcomed the unanimous decision by the STUC to pass the composite motion on Palestine as “a clear message of support to the Palestinian people” and said that “in condemning Histadrut for its collusion in the continued oppression and dehumanisation process by the Zionist government in Tel Aviv, the STUC have shown the lead and look set to break its link with the government sponsored Histadrut.”

Delegates also unanimously passed an emergency motion calling for the cancellation of an exhibition to be held at the Scottish Parliament next week, organised by Scottish Friends of Israel. The resolution deplored “Parliament”s acquiescence to this blatant example of Israeli State propaganda” and follows a decision by the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee on Tuesday to support a petition by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign also calling for the cancellation of the exhibition.