Boycott arms deliveries to Israel: Belgian unions are followed worldwide

International call

When Israel unleashed its ruthless war of revenge against the people of Gaza, Palestinian trade unions called on their colleagues worldwide to boycott arms deliveries to Israel:

“As Israel intensifies its military campaign, we as Palestinian trade unions call on our international colleagues and all people of conscience to end all forms of complicity in Israel’s crimes. We call with the utmost urgency for an end to the arms trade with Israel, as well as to all funding and military research.

The time for action is now: Palestinian lives are at stake.”

The Belgian trade unions were the first to set a good example. In a joint press release, the four trade union sectors of ABVV and ACV called for a stop to arms shipments destined for Israel. They refuse to contribute to the murder of innocent victims and call for an immediate ceasefire.

“We call with the utmost urgency for an end to the arms trade with Israel, as well as to all funding and military research.”

“We, the various trade unions active in the ground handling sector, call on our members to no longer handle flights shipping military material to Palestine/Israel, as there were clear agreements and rules at the beginning of the conflict with Russia and Ukraine. ”

Belgian trade unions are being followed

The Belgian example is being followed in many countries. The list grows every day.

In the United States calls on part of the automotive trade union (UAW), which is itself currently waging a fierce battle for wage increases https://twitter.com/WorkersinPales1/status/1718554896503329004 of Israel.

“We watch in horror as the US sends troops to assist in an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. We mourn the loss of civilian lives. We categorically reject US support for the murderous Israeli regime in its ongoing genocide of the Palestinians, which has killed more than 7,000 people and injured 16,000 in airstrikes since October 7 and has cut off water, food and power to the people of Gaza closed.

We call on the UAW to endorse and implement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).”

“We categorically reject US support for the murderous Israeli regime in its ongoing genocide of the Palestinians”

The Central Trade Union Council of India (https://twitter.com/WorkersinPales1/status/1715654186832912824), which represents more than 600,000 workers, is calling on unions to boycott arms shipments to Israel.

“We fully support the call of Palestinian trade unions for all workers of the world and their trade unions to unite and boycott the production or loading of weapons and military equipment destined for Israel and its brutal war.”

In Brazil has https://twitter.com/sumayaawad/status/1715753885669695644the largest trade union federation representing more than 7.4 million workers, adopted a resolution pledging unwavering support for the Palestinians.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (https://twitter.com/WorkersinPales1/status/1717074922332180555), the country’s largest labor union with 75,000 members, adopted a resolution in solidarity with the Palestinian people, including a call for the government to “end the sale of arms to Israel.”

In Japan the railway union of the city of Chiba (1 million inhabitants) responds to the call of the Palestinian unions. The Japanese government plans to supply weapons and financial aid to Israel, among other things. The railway association wants to prevent this: “We wholeheartedly support the fierce struggle of the Palestinian people, and we will fight with all our strength to overthrow the Kishida government.”

In Colombia the miners’ union wants a suspension of the supply of all minerals and fuels to Israel.

“As noted by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, these events ‘did not come out of the blue’. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation, seeing their land continually swallowed up by settlements and plagued by violence.

Their economy was stifled, their people displaced and their homes destroyed. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight are fading.

The Israeli government’s response has been described by President Gustavo Petro as a situation similar to what was experienced in the Nazi concentration camps. It’s a genocide. In light of this barbarity, our President yesterday recalled the Colombian ambassador to Israel for consultations.

“The Israeli government’s response is comparable to what was experienced in the Nazi concentration camps”

We fully support these decisions and encourage the government to suspend shipments of Colombian coal and all metals and minerals to Israel as leverage for an immediate ceasefire, as demanded by civil society, human rights organizations, churches and we join as a trade union organization.

Cease fire now!”

In Barcelona have the https://twitter.com/VidalAragones/status/1721491374107746316 decided not to allow materials to be sent to the war in the Gaza Strip. They do this for the “sole purpose of protecting the civilian population, regardless of territory. No reason justifies the sacrifice of civilians.”

The dockworkers consider it a collective “obligation” to defend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “tooth and nail”. They criticize the fact that many countries seem to have forgotten that they signed the Declaration. They point out that those human rights are “currently being violated in Ukraine, Israel and the Palestinian territories.”

The dock workers are calling for an immediate ceasefire and peaceful solutions to the various conflicts.

The union of technicians and metalworkers of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1717431985113571376) join Palestinian trade unions’ call on the international labor movement to end all complicity and take concrete action against arms transfers to Israel.

In Poland calls on the largest umbrella confederation of trade unions (https://twitter.com/WorkersinPales1/status/1717081820976570785) to end military cooperation with Israel.

Source of the photo above: https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1717431985113571376.