PFLP salutes British Trades Union Congress for resolution to boycott the occupation state

The statement below was issued by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in response to the British TUC's call on September 17 for Sanctions and Boycotts against Israel.

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The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine expressed its solidarity and greetings to British workers and the Trades Union Congress of Britain after the annual congress passed a resolution committing to participate in and campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Israeli occupier.


The motion was passed on September 17, 2009 at the annual conference of the TUC, which is comprised of 60 trade unions representing 6.5 million workers in Britain. It condemned the massacres in Gaza in December 2008-January 2009 and called for an end to the blockade and siege of Gaza, and demanded a ban on the importation of goods produced in the illegal Israeli occupation settlements in the West Bank, as well as for suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a recent agreement increasing economic ties between the European Union and the occupation state.

In addition, the motion condemned the Histadrut, the Zionist trade union, for supporting the massacre in Gaza and called for a 'review' of the TUC's relationship with Histadrut. The motion was brought by the Fire Brigades Union, which represents 85% of British firefighters and support staff.

This comes following the endorsement of two other national labor federations, COSATU (The Congress of South African Trade Unions) in South Africa and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Ireland.

A spokesperson for the PFLP commended this action by the British TUC and emphasized the importance of working-class solidarity to confront the Zionist occupation and stand alongside Palestinian workers. Palestinian workers and popular classes have always paid the highest price of occupation and oppression, said the spokesperson, and have been the constant source of steadfastness and strength in the Palestinian revolution.

The PFLP spokesperson called upon all trade unions to immediately cut their relations with the Histadrut, noting that the Histadrut is part and parcel of the Zionist state and was formed as part of the colonization of Palestine and is thoroughly integrated into the occupation state. The spokesperson said further that the Histadrut is openly complicit in discrimination against and repression of Palestinian workers and has been throughout its history.

The spokesperson further called upon trade unions around the world to take up this example and build full international isolation of Israel, including full economic, academic, cultural boycott of Israel, divestment of pension funds from Israeli companies, refusing to move Israeli cargo or unload Israeli products, and political pressure to impose sanctions upon the occupation state.

The PFLP spokesperson concluded by expressing the Front's solidarity with these British workers and its commitment to international working class solidarity, noting that the liberation of Palestine is part and parcel of confronting our common enemies of capitalism and imperialism and securing victory for all workers.