Boycott Israel?

The debate as to whether boycotting Israel is a good tactic in support of the Palestinians

Whom does this "boycott of Israel" help?

Egyptian writer Hala Mustafa faces threats of expulsion from the country's official Press Syndicate and removal from her job because she met the Israeli ambassador to Egypt as part of her journalistic work. Ms Mustafa told the Financial Times: "I don't believe the boycott of Israel is useful to the Palestinians," she said. "Also I don't think it is the right of unions and professional associations to impose it, because it is against the rights of the individual guaranteed by the constitution. Whoever wants to boycott Israel can do it themselves as a personal decision." Egypt is the only major...

The GMB's amendment on "boycott Israel"

GMB official Richard Ashcough spoke to Solidarity about the GMB’s amendment to the FBU motion, which aimed to target the focus of the boycott onto goods produced in the Occupied Territories. This tactic has some precedent; left-wing Israeli peace campaign Gush Shalom runs a campaign to boycott goods produced in illegal settlements (in Israel, it’s possible to distinguish which goods these are by barcode numbers). GMB officer Richard Ascough said the amendment intended to add some “balance.” “We were concerned that the FBU motion didn’t criticise Hamas as well as Israeli violence, and we weren...

The Fire Brigade Union's case for "boycott Israel"

John McGhee, FBU National Officer, spoke to Martin Thomas about the FBU’s “boycott Israel” motion to TUC Congress. We’re glad there was debate at the TUC about Palestinian rights. But we think that the boycott of Israeli goods which the FBU motion proposed as its main practical measure would be counterproductive. British unions could do a great deal in the way of positive solidarity through making links, rather than boycotting. For example, the RMT, when it had a policy of solidarity rather than boycott, organised a demonstration to protest against Israeli Railways’ treatment of Arab workers —...

To help the Palestinians: solidarity, not boycotts!

On Thursday 17 September the TUC congress voted for a motion from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for a boycott of Israeli goods. The vote does not commit unions to any real action, and anyway was neutralised by the TUC General Council putting a statement through the congress which defined a much more limited policy. But the TUC vote will boost the "boycott Israel" mood in the labour movement and the left. We believe this is a step backwards for the labour movement and for the cause of solidarity with the Palestinians. Rather than boycott, we advocate maximum links by the British labour movement...

"Boycott Israel": what the TUC decided

Below is the TUC General Council statement on Israel and Palestine adopted at the TUC congress on 17 September 2009. It overrides the FBU motion also carried at the Congress, and effectively enforces the changes in the FBU motion sought by an amendment from the GMB - to limit the "boycott Israel" call to goods produced in the settlements in the Occupied Territories, and to delete the hint of breaking links with the Israeli unions. For the socialist arguments against a boycott of Israel, click here and here . The TUC reiterates its belief that only when a sovereign, independent, democratic...

Boycott Israel?

Should workers and trade unionists show our support for the Palestinians by boycotting all Israeli goods? This discussion article suggests seven reasons why active solidarity is better than boycott, and why a boycott could even be counter-productive.

1. Positive solidarity achieves more than...

Democracy still the key in Unison

In his speech to this year’s conference of the public services union Unison, in Brighton in mid-June, general secretary Dave Prentis called on the “Labour Link” section of the union to stop funding constituency development plans, and to work only with Labour MPs who abide by the union’s values and objectives. He also called on them to campaign to ensure that the manifesto the Labour Party draws up for the next general election does not continue privatisation. The conference gave him a standing ovation, reflecting the anger delegates feel about the Labour Party. But in Unison all activity...

Unison: oppose moves to "boycott" Israeli workers

This year's conference of the public services union Unison (16-19 June) has a motion (no.72) from the National Executive to confirm the "economic, cultural, academic, and sporting boycott of Israel" which Unison voted through in 2007, with amendments seeking to sharpen the "shun-Israel" message. An amendment from the Scottish region (72.01) seeks to "review" the relations which Unison has with the Israeli trade union movement, the Histadrut, as part of its general links with public service unions internationally, and to demand "a ban on imports... and until such a ban is introduced, a boycott"...

The Scottish TUC and boycotts against Israel: evidence collected, arguments evaded

“The delegation ended its visit with a strong sense of the injustice and human rights violations experienced on a daily basis by ordinary Palestinians,” states the recently published “Report of the Scottish TUC Delegation to Palestine and Israel, 28th February – 7th March 2009”. And it’s easy to see why the eleven trade unionists, a mixture of STUC officials and members of affiliated unions, felt such a strong sense of injustice by the end of their visit. In Jerusalem they met with victims of forced evictions and other discriminatory policies carried out by the Israeli authorities in the east...

UCU and Israel boycott: stand and fight

Recently Jon Pike, chair of Engage (a group set up to defeat a boycott of Israeli academia), posted a critique of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) to its activist list. Jon is also a member of the UCU NEC. In this critique he assesses the union’s democratic credentials, its ability to stand up for academic freedom, and its willingness to fight all discrimination. Conclusion one: the union does not fair well. Conclusion two: a number of its Jewish members are resigning. What, of course, is missing is a third conclusion: members who oppose the boycott should instead stay and fight. In...

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