Stand with Palestine on the UN Day of Solidarity – build BDS campaigns!
By Matt Willgress, Labour & Palestine
At the time of writing, Israel’s military assault on Gaza has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, injured more than 93,000 and displaced over 75 per cent of the population.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled earlier this year that this war on Gaza amounts to a plausible case of genocide, and since then arrest warrants have been issued for leading figures in the Israeli regime. This is the context to the massive Palestinian solidarity movement here, which is part of a global movement for justice.
There is also growing recognition here and globally – including from reports from Human Rights Watch to Amnesty International – that Palestinians are subjected to a system of apartheid by the Israeli state.
In terms of the policy of governments internationally, including the UK, genocide and apartheid should be met with a principled foreign policy. Under the Genocide Convention, that requires all steps be taken to prevent genocide and punish those responsible. Specifically, it means sanctions against individuals and entities that have incited genocide.
As was the case with South African apartheid, we therefore urgently need a concerted effort from the labour movement and civil society to see the dismantling of Israel’s apartheid against the Palestinian people.
It was therefore particularly significant that the recent TUC Congress called for BDS – namely boycotts, divestment and sanctions.
As Craig Mokhiber, a former senior UN human rights official, puts it, the ICJ ruling makes BDS “not only a moral imperative and constitutional and human right, but also an international legal obligation.” This is also the setting to the passing of the historic UN motion recently, which Britain abstained on, that called for sanctions on Israel in order to end the illegal occupation.
Despite the shameful stance of Keir Starmer’s government, our BDS movement – spearheaded by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign – is growing here in Britain and is part of a significant global call, which must be prioritised in the time ahead, and is making real advances.
In July, Waltham Forest Council, for example, committed to divesting their pension fund from arms companies. Also in July, it was confirmed Islington Council will not renew its banking contract with Barclays due to Barclays’ investments in Israeli apartheid, and funding of companies arming Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Then, in September, Lewisham Pension Fund, a fund of the Local Government Pension Scheme, committed to “review and update its responsible investment policy” with a view to “move away” from companies facilitating human rights abuses, such as through the arms trade.
In response to the student encampments for Palestine making clear disinvestment demands, wins have also been made in this sector.
In August, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the UK’s largest private pension scheme, divested from £80 million of Israeli assets including Israeli government bonds, following pressure from the UCU trade union and others.
This followed the news in June that Swansea University had committed to divest from Barclays Bank, as part of ensuring all of its investments follow an ethical investment policy.
Kings College meanwhile has now become the first London college to halt direct investments in Israel’s arms suppliers. Middle East Eye reports that “the divestment will see a stop in all of KCL’s direct investments in companies such as Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies and Boeing, known to be leading military suppliers for Israel’s military and involved in the manufacturing of cluster bombs, land mines, depleted uranium weapons and other armaments.”
In the cultural field, earlier this year after at least 163 artists and venues boycotted The Great Escape, the UK music festival ended its partnership with Barclays.
Moving forward, local Labour Parties, Labour councils and other bodies should now be lobbied hard to build on these campaign successes and immediately engage in such campaigns, as part of a movement across the whole of civil society for concrete actions to be taken to help end genocide and apartheid.
Our message is clear – Israel must face real consequences when it doesn’t abide by international law.
- Join Labour & Palestine in marking UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, 1pm, Friday 29th November – with Richard Burgon MP; Hugh Lanning, Labour & Palestine, Louise Regan, Palestine Solidarity Campaign; plus more speakers and guests from Palestine. Register and find out more here.
- Join the workplace day of action on 28th November and the National Demonstration on 30th November – info at www.stopwar.org.uk.
With thanks to Celie and Lewis at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign for research and suggestions.
Officials, envoys emphasize urgency of ending Israel's occupation, addressing humanitarian crises, pursuing two-state solution
WASHINGTON
The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held a special meeting Tuesday to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on Friday.
"Today we once more gather to observe International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, not as a mere commemoration, but as a solemn reminder of unfulfilled promises, denied rights and the historic injustice," said Committee chair Cheikh Niang.
Stating that this year's commemoration takes place amid unprecedented suffering and tragedy, Niang, who is Senegal’s UN envoy, said: "The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people remain unrealized, including their right to self-determination, a right owed to all peoples on earth."
"We urgently call on the international community to take decisive action to end Israel's occupation to ensure accountability for protectors, deliver justice for the victims, and uphold the long overdue liberal rights of the Palestinian people," he added.
General Assembly President Philemon Yang said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved through force, endless occupation or annexation.
"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only end when both Israelis and Palestinians are able to live side by side in their own independent states, in peace, security and dignity," said the president.
"We must restore hope, and some Palestinians hope that a better future is possible, and trust in the United Nations and its commitments, we can start building that future here today by demanding a cease-fire, an immediate return of the hostages, and the commencement of negotiations towards a long, lasting peace," Yang said.
Barbara Woodward, the UK's envoy to the UN, said a lasting and comprehensive solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means.
She said the international community needs to redouble efforts to support a cease-fire, release all hostages and take urgent action to address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis and work toward the realization of a two-state solution to the conflict.
"We reiterate our unwavering commitment two-state solution and undermine the need to put in place urgent steps to revitalize a political pathway towards its realization," said Woodward.
Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the UN, conveyed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ message, saying the international community stands in solidarity for the dignity, rights, justice and self-determination of the Palestinians.
"This year's commemoration is especially painful, as those fundamental goals are as distant as they have ever been," said Mohammed.
Call for international intervention to stop Gaza tragedy
She said nothing justifies the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel and nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
"Yet, more than a year later, Gaza is in ruins. More than 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been reportedly killed and the humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the day," said Mohammed, who called it "appalling" and "inexcusable".
For his part, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the UN, read a message from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said urgent international intervention is needed to stop the tragedy in Gaza, which he said is taking place before the eyes and ears of the world.
"The international community has declared this international day in support of the rights of our people, foremost their right to self-determination and the independence of their state, which necessitates taking practical and dramatic steps to the dangers that are threatening millions of lives and the possibility of achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy," it said.
Abbas demanded suspending Israel's membership in the UN because of its refusal to abide by international law and obligations, and due to its insistence on continuing its crimes against the Palestinian people.
"At the same time, it's imperative to reject Israel's plans to separate Gaza from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, to diminish the state of Palestine's responsibility," said Abbas.
He said Israel needs to stop its settlement and occupation, killings, settler terrorism, attacks on the holy sites and the attempts to alter the legal status quo as well as raids on cities, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests in Palestine.
"Once again, I reiterate that the occupation will end and Palestinian rights will prevail no matter how long it takes," the message concludes.
In 1977, the UN General Assembly called for the annual observance on Nov. 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted a resolution on the partition of Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish.
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