Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Union Activists Need to Break From Pro-Imperialist Leadership and Undermine U.S. Support for Israeli Genocide

 

Union activists UAW leadership Israel genocide duplicity cowardice AFL-CIO

"The U.S. Labor Movement Calls for Cease-fire in Israel and Palestine.” That is the name of the resolution that many members of a variety of unions have signed on to, believing that this would bring peace to the Middle East, by having the guns go silent. ”The U.S. Labor Movement Calls for Cease-fire in Israel and Palestine. That is the name of the resolution that many members of a variety of unions have signed on to, believing that this would bring peace to the Middle East, by having the guns go silent.

The U.S. labor movement decided it was finally necessary to lend its collective voice to the ever-growing chorus of disgust for the war, although it never refers to the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians. But wait, let’s analyze the resolution and see if all these unions have really put their money where their mouths are.

The resolution states: “We, members of the American labor movement, mourn the loss of life in Israel and Palestine. We express our solidarity with all workers and our common desire for peace in Palestine and Israel, and we call on President Joe Biden and Congress to push for an immediate ceasefire and end to the siege of Gaza. We cannot bomb our way to peace. We also condemn any hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, or anyone else.”

In issuing this call, U.S. unions are joining the efforts of 13 Members of Congress and others who are calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The basic rights of people must be restored. Water, fuel, food, and other humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza, power must be restored, and foreign nationals and Palestinians requiring medical care must be allowed out of Gaza.

While calling for the restoration of water, fuel, food and other humanitarian aid is absolutely required if more Palestinians are not going to die from these atrocities, one must ask who controls the situation in Gaza. Whether Israel decides to allow this to happen, even temporarily, is completely up to Israel because there is no call for Israel to relinquish control of Gaza. Thus, without a permanent cease-fire, and the relinquishing of control over Gaza, this is just an empty call. Putting aside the fact that the entirety of Israel is on occupied Palestinian territory, without calling for the relinquishing of at least the boundaries of Gaza, Israel can at any time, resume its genocidal lockdown. The U.S. labor movement must call for the end not only of the siege but the end of Israel’s control of Gaza, at least as a start, but the resolution does not even mention this as a possibility. Israel, as far as the resolution goes, has the right to retain control.  (more...)

Union Activists Need to Break From Pro-Imperialist Leadership and Undermine U.S. Support for Israeli Genocide


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