A message from
The Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
Sisters and brothers:
The PGFTU has been working at all levels in Palestine and in its
international relations to mobilize international support for peace in the
region. This is the ultimate goal for our working families in Palestine,
who labored in every way possible to bring about an end to the Israeli
occupation of all Palestinian territories. This occupation is the longest
and worst in the modern history.
Over the years and even at this moment, these efforts have been met only
with terrorism against our people by the Israeli army of occupation, which
has indiscriminately destroyed homes and worksites, slaughtered our
people, confiscated our land, established and expanded illegal
settlements, and limited the movement of workers who are only trying to
feed their families. These measures have affected every member of the
Palestinian society.
The recent construction of the Apartheid Wall stands as a symbol of the
extent of Israel's brutal aggression against the Palestinian people and
denial of their legitimate rights, dignity and human needs.
We call upon all peace-loving people in the world:
You are now witness to the criminal aggression by the Israeli army in its
offensive in the Gaza Strip, bringing a new wave of killings and massacres
against the Palestinian people by Israel as the occupying state. These are
war crimes according to international humanitarian law and the Geneva
Conventions.
As our families in Gaza (the poorest in the middle East) are being
slaughtered nonstop for a week now, many of us are reliving what occurred
in the summer of 2006 during the Israeli aggression against the people of
Lebanon.
We witnessed then as we experience now waves of support and solidarity and
similar anger and energy against this brutal injustice. We cannot afford
to let this surge of support pass us by without utilizing the moment to
build our movement to face future challenges. The most important thing is
to be aware and equipped.
· We urgently ask you and your sister labor organizations to help us
spread the message that " WE ARE ALL GAZA" – that this war is against all
poor workers and families of the world. These are not just crimes against
the people of Palestine. They are crimes against humanity.
· Help us create a strong voice for the working families of Gaza by
building coalitions with unions, faith groups, antiwar movements and all
social justice organizations.
· We join you in the hope that in the election of Barack Obama, he will
fulfill his reputation as a pro-union antiwar candidate, and that he
understands that the CHANGE he spoke about during the campaign must
include a fundamental change in U.S foreign policy so that "FREE GAZA.
…FREE PALESTINE" becomes more than just a slogan.
We support and encourage your Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS)
efforts against Israel around the world, but especially in Europe and most
particularly in the United States as a response to the harsh economic
conditions, violations of labor and human rights, and other forms of
oppression imposed by the illegal and immoral Israeli Apartheid
occupation.
We ask you to stop U.S aid to Israel. This becomes not only necessary but
also a duty of international solidarity among labor unions around the
world. It is U.S. government aid that provides Israel with the weapons of
oppression and U.S. government support that enables them to use those
weapons against our people.
We ask you to be an active player in raising funds to meet the bare
necessities of food, medicine and medical supplies for the people of Gaza.
With your solidarity with our struggle for human rights and justice, we
can transform this moment of crisis into a turning point for an end to the
brutal occupation and a step toward the liberation of the people of
Palestine.
With the will and determination of all the people, we can say "FREE
PALESTINE … YES WE CAN.
Manawell Abdel Al
Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)
"The Palestine General Federation of Trade Union" is an independent
democratic labor union Federation. It enjoys the full rights according to
the valid national legislation. It has been established in 1965 as an
extension to the Palestinian labor movement struggle that started in 1921
in "Haifa", it was known as the Arab laborers' society during the British
mandate in Palestine who licensed it.
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http://www.maannews.net/en/
Association of University Teachers in Gaza calls for help
Date: 04 / 01 / 2009 Time: 10:27
Bethlehem - Ma an - The Palestinian Association of University Teachers in
Gaza calls upon all peace-loving, freedom-loving nations, NGOs,
universities, intellectuals, cultural and academic institutions, trade
unions and syndicates, as well as human rights organizations all over the
world to:
1. Immediately impose boycotts, sanctions and divestments on the Apartheid
Israeli state.
2. Try the Israeli generals for their on-going crimes against the
Palestinian people.
3. Demand a halt to Israel s savage aggression, end its brutal occupation
and lift its suffocating and lethal siege on the Gaza Strip.
4. Implement all UN resolutions related to the inalienable national
rights, particularly UN resolution 194 calling for the right of return for
the Palestinian refugees to their homes and their property from which they
were uprooted by the terrorist Zionist gangs in 1948.
5. Comply with 4th article of the Geneva Convention, the international
human rights law, the international humanitarian law, and the universal
declaration of human rights as well as all other related agreements.
6. Lift the draconian blockade against Gaza as stipulated by the 1948
convention on Genocide, and consider anyone participating as a war
criminal who must be tried for crimes against humanity.
Israel is a rogue state that is a threat and danger to world peace and
security; therefore she must be banished and punished by the international
community, before it is too late for the people of Palestine, the people
of Israel and the people in the surrounding countries.
