The pro-Hamas Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which is supported by nearly all of the large unions in the UK, is to hold its annual general meeting later this month.  The meeting occurs at a time of deep division inside the ranks of the organisation.  On the one hand, many of its activists are keen to promote the work of Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites as part of their efforts of behalf of Hamas the Palestinians.  But others, fearful of losing support from more moderate elements, are trying to put some distance between the campaign and the extremists.  The top news story on the trade union page of the PSC website is entitled “Statement from PSC Trade Union Advisory Committee” and is undated.  It says (in part):

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Trade Union Advisory Committee agreed this statement to reaffirm that the principles of anti-racism are not only at the core of the struggle for Palestinian human rights, self determination and freedom, but also fundamental to the trade union movement as well. In both the solidarity and trade union movement, founded on the principles of anti-racism, there is no place for expressions of racism or intolerance, anti-semitism, or attempts to deny or minimise the Holocaust. Such sentiments are abhorrent in their own right and can only detract from the building of a strong movement in support of peace and justice, and based on the principles of human rights and international law.

The organisation’s annual general meeting takes place on Saturday, 21 January in London. We wonder if the trade unionists in attendance will raise the ongoing collaboration between many PSC activists and anti-Semites.  At the moment, it looks like the extremists are taking the offensive, accusing the PSC leadership of kow-towing to “Zionists”.  It promises to be an interesting event, and we’ll have a full report on the TULIP website.

According to news reports coming out of Israel, Histadrut chair Ofer Eini is to face a challenge to his leadership as Israel Labour Party chair Eitan Cabel announces his candidacy for leadership of the labour federation.

Cabel stepped down from his party post to challenge Eini in elections due to be held in May.  

Eini has come under criticism in recent months for the Histadrut’s late decision to support the ’social justice’ campaigns that swept through the country last summer as well and its seemingly opportunistic decision to call a general strike against contract labour.

Despite rumors that Eini will soon leave the trade union movement either to assume a role in the party or in private business, it appears that he does intend to stand for re-election — and new Labour Party head Shelly Yachimovich previously announced her support for Eini. (more)

Full report here.

Another example of unions playing an unhelpful role.

This story is required reading for all those who think a boycott of Israeli trade unions somehow helps the Palestinian cause.

About two weeks ago, we reported on an anti-Semitic outburst by a British trade union official at a pro-Palestinian event on 24 October.  Initially, there were denials that he used the term “chosen people” — and it’s true that this bit of the outburst was not on the widely-circulated video of the event.  But it was clearly discernible on the audio version.

Two weeks have passed and Steve Hedley has now issued a statement in which he “apologise[s] to anyone who may have been offended by this remark” and “regret[s] that I was provoked into making statements that could be deliberately and maliciously miscontrued by right-wing Zionists who are openly hostile to trade unions, openly consort with the neo-fascist EDL and who wish to smear my reputation and that of my union.”

Not exactly the sort of apology we would have necessarily wanted to hear, but quite different from earlier denials that anything was said – and different from the usual things we have grown accustomed to hearing from the anti-Israel crowd.

Trade Union Friends of Israel (TUFI) organized a delegation to Israel and Palestine last week.  The delegates came from four British unions, as well as several Australian unions and the Labor Party.  Their account of their visit stands in striking contrast to what we normally read on union websites about Israel.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) has warmly welcomed the holding of the third Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) this coming weekend in Cape Town.

In a statement issued three days ago, the union wrote:

“It is quite befitting for our democracy to host such an important international political event. The struggle of the people of Palestine for freedom from Israeli occupation and oppression is as just as our struggle for freedom from Apartheid rule.”

The statement continues, saying “a free, democratic South Africa is duty-bound to continue rendering international solidarity to the beleaguered and fighting masses of Palestine in their quest [for] freedom and national self-determination. Our own liberation cannot be complete while our fellow brothers and sisters in Palestine are still living under Zionist terrorist rule.”

In case anyone is in doubt as the result of the “tribunal’s” hearing, the union goes on to say:

“As SATAWU, we know Israeli oppression of Palestinians from first-hand experience. The striking resemblance between Israel and Apartheid South Africa, politically, economically and socially, does justify the current characterisation of Zionist Israel by progressive forces internationally as Apartheid Israel. At the close of the third RToP this fundamental truth, among others, will have been thoroughly explained in great detail to the whole world.”

In what sense is this a tribunal, with a jury, holding hearings?  It sounds more like a Stalinist show-trial, which is exactly what it is.

The statement ends with the rather odd exclamation:

“Let the representatives of the revolutionary working class and the democratic forces of our country tremble before the revolutionary international jury, the third RToP!”

Shouldn’t that, um, be the “Zionist-terrorists” who tremble?  Perhaps the author of the statement got a bit excited with such over-heated rhetoric.

But what is this “revolutionary international jury” — the Russell Tribunal on Palestine — all about?

One need to no further than the website http://www.russelltribunal.com/ in order to find out.

This website, produced by NGO Monitor in Jerusalem, thoroughly deconstructs the RToP.

As Judge Richard Goldstone (yes, he of the famous “Goldstone Report”) writes in The New York Times:

“In Cape Town starting on Saturday, a London-based nongovernmental organization called the Russell Tribunal on Palestine will hold a “hearing” on whether Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid. It is not a “tribunal.” The “evidence” is going to be one-sided and the members of the “jury” are critics whose harsh views of Israel are well known.”

There doesn’t appear to be a single trade unionist on the “jury” of the “tribunal” – just the usual suspects, people who pop up whenever the opportunity arises to attack the Jewish state. One wonders why SATAWU – or COSATU – would want anything to do with such a body?

In a powerful piece for the website of the venerable New Statesman, columnist Rob Marchant urges unions to come back to their senses on Israel and Palestine.  Well worth reading.