THE BASQUE TRADE UNIONS MANIFESTO IN the 5th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BDS CAMPAIGN

Background: Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine and the Global Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

In the words of Nelson Mandela, to justice for the Palestinian people has become “the greatest moral case of our time.” Israel”s brutal siege of Gaza represents today the most critical and urgent of all Israeli injustices against the Palestinian people that is manifested in the form of countless violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

Palestinian civil society, through the Palestinian National Committee (PNC) of the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions has called on all people of conscience and civil society organizations worldwide to promote the BDS campaign against Israel. Inspired by the boycott campaign against apartheid South Africa, this initiative is considered the most effective means of ending colonial occupation and apartheid in Palestine and take Israel with its responsibility under international law in seeking a just peace.

The BDS campaign is a peaceful initiative led since 2005 by civil society organizations, political parties and trade unions representing the Palestinian people, and is supported by a worldwide network of entities that make up the movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

BDS Campaign Calls for Global Action to establish measures to pressure Israel and to prevent economic, political and business relations with a state that violates international law and violates the UN resolutions. This civic initiative is most needed, and if possible approach the European Union and its member states who remain indifferent to the repeated violation of human rights, civic and political rights of the Arab population of Palestine.

Therefore, the BDS campaign demand the world to boycott Israel, its institutions and enterprises, and also to withdraw their investments in companies that benefit from the occupation or denial of the rights of the refugee population.

Preamble
Given the call by the NPC to commemorate the July 9, 2010, the fifth anniversary of the founding of the movement of BDS and the sixth anniversary of the ruling of the International Court of Justice which provides that Israel must dismantle its illegal wall and its colonial occupation regime in Palestine.

Since all forms of international intervention so far have failed in their attempt to make Israel comply with the international law or to put an end to the repression on the Palestinians; the repression that manifests itself in many different ways (sieges, indiscriminate killings, willful destruction and the racist colonial wall, …etc.).

On the basis of unity between the trade unions with regard to Basque solidarity with the Palestinian people, a fact that has manifested itself in calls unit as the manifestation of January 24, 2009 to denounce the Israeli attack on Gaza and concentration 3 June 2010 to reprimand military cooperation and arms of the Spanish State with the Israeli army.

Statement of support

In agreement with the tradition of Basque trade unions struggle for justice, equality and human rights by means of this document ELA Basque trade unions, CCOO, LAB, UGT, ESK, STEE, HIRU, EHNE, CGT, USO LSB-USO make public their commitment to the Campaign BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against the State of Israel, and agree not to collaborate with the policy of apartheid in Palestine and the illegal occupation in their territories.

Also, the Basque unions agreed to denounce publicly all those Basque institutions and companies that give a priority to their economic and political interests at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian people, or those work or legitimize the colonial occupation of Palestine.

Basque trade unions have decided to join this campaign because it relies on the defense of human rights as universal, indivisible and interdependent (Article 30 of its statement) and it is a civil means to change situations of injustice and institutional violence and move toward justice and peace.

Considered as a legitimate tool, the Global Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the State of Israel will continue until Israel complies with international law as it should in respect of:

* Ending of the military occupation of Palestine.
* Paralysis and destruction of the Wall in West Bank.
* Ending the system of racial discrimination.
* Total and definitive lifting of the blockade on Gaza.
* Recognition of the right of return for refugees.

Signed in Bilbao on July 9, 2010.