CO A L ITI O N LABOUR FOR PALESTINE AG AIN A reader for unionists and activists S T IS in the boycott, divestment and sanctions RA campaign against Israeli apartheid EL I A part Developed by the labour committee of the HE Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid ID Labour for Palestine is an invaluable resource in the Palestinian people’s struggle for justice. Packed with information, this reader provides historical background, political analysis of the current situation, and arguments in defense of the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. A must read for all unionists and social activists. Lab OU R F O A publication of R the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid P A $15 LES [email protected] tin www.caiaweb.org Top: CAIA rally & march E Toronto February 2007 Revised 2008 Revised Bottom: Nakba commemoration rally May 2008 Photos by Robert J. Allison Labour for Palestine A reader developed by the labour committee of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid Labour for Palestine Revised edition, 2008 First edition published 2007 A publication of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid www.caiaweb.org ISBN: 978-0-9782866-1-3 Design and layout: Sandra Sarner Front cover image: Courtesy of www.stopthewall.org Back cover photos: Robert J. Allison Printed in Canada by JT Printing Ltd. Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 5 SECTION ONE: Background and Analysis .................................................................................. 7 The Early History of Colonialism in Palestine: 1880-1967 ...................................................... 9 The West Bank and Gaza Strip ................................................................................................ 11 Daily Life in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ............................................................................ 12 An Abridged Timeline of the History of Palestine .................................................................. 16 Comparisons of South African and Israeli Apartheid .............................................................. 17 SECTION TWO: Zionism, the Israeli Labour Movement and Palestinian Workers ........... 25 Zionism: False Messiah ............................................................................................................ 27 The Histadrut and Settler-Colonialism: The Early Years .......................................................... 34 CAIA Welcomes Call from Palestinian Trade Unionists to Boycott Israel and the Histadrut . 37 The Economics of Apartheid .................................................................................................... 39 SECTION THREE: Canada, Colonialism and Israeli Apartheid ............................................... 45 CAIA Re-affirms Solidarity as Canadian Government Escalates Attacks on Indigenous People ............................................................................................................... 47 Canada’s Colonial Present ........................................................................................................ 48 Empire’s Ally: Canadian Foreign Policy ................................................................................... 55 Israel, Racism and the Canadian Media ................................................................................... 62 The Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) ................................................................ 69 Continued SECTION FOUR: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions .............................................................. 73 Palestinian Civil Society Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel .............. 75 Towards a Global Movement for Palestine .............................................................................. 76 A Selected List of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Initiatives ........................................... 82 FAQ about Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions ................................................................. 83-84 The Case for Boycotting Israel ................................................................................................. 85 Unpacking the Israeli Lobby’s Arguments ............................................................................... 90 Lessons from the South African Experience ............................................................................ 92 From South Africa to Palestine: Lessons for the New Anti-Apartheid Movement ................. 96 Next Steps for the Palestinian Solidarity Movement................................................................ 100 SECTION FIVE: Palestine Solidarity and the North American Labour Movement ........... 105 CUPE Ontario Resolution No. 50 .......................................................................................... 107 Postal Workers Take Firm Stand to Support Palestinian Workers ........................................... 108 Letter from the President of the COSATU to the President CUPE Ontario ......................... 109 CUPE Ontario Takes Important Step against Israeli Apartheid .............................................. 110 CUPE ‘Boycott Israel’ Debate Rages On ................................................................................ 113 Building Labour Solidarity with Palestine................................................................................ 120 Statement by Labour for Palestine in Response to US Anti-Boycott Statement ..................... 124 US Labor and Gaza .................................................................................................................. 128 A Reply to B’nai Brith Manifesto Denouncing CUPE-Ontario’s Boycott of Israel ............... 131 Campaigns and Further Resources ........................................................................................... 135 Introduction n July 2005, over 170 Palestinian organizations active member-led committee that is beginning to urgedI the world to adopt a campaign of boycott, take up other international solidarity issues with divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel in similar energy. The campaign around Resolution 50 the manner of South Africa Apartheid. This call has demonstrated the main strategic significance of was signed by all the main Palestinian trade union union resolutions, as a tool to educate and mobilize federations, as well as refugee, women and student rank-and-file members, and build an appreciation organizations from across Palestine and the Arab of international solidarity as an integral component world. It represented the broadest political state- of a fighting labour movement. Resolutions mean ment in Palestinian history, precipitating a power- nothing if they are not linked to rank-and-file or- ful global solidarity campaign that has grown dra- ganizing. matically over the last few years. In April 2008 the BDS movement in Canada When this reader was first issued in March 2007, received another historic boost. The national con- the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions vention of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (BDS) against Israeli apartheid was still embryonic (CUPW) passed a resolution modeled on CUPE within labour circles in this country. The passing of Ontario’s Resolution 50. The CUPW resolution Resolution 50 by the Canadian Union of Public committed the union to conducting an education Employees (CUPE Ontario), the first BDS resolu- campaign similar to CUPE Ontario and expressed tion in Canadian labour movement history, was a support for the 2005 BDS call from Palestine. The recent occurrence. Although Resolution 50 inspired CUPW resolution was doubly significant: not only many activists and was a powerful awareness-rais- did it represent the first time a national union in ing tool among the broader public, its longer-term Canada had passed a BDS resolution, but CUPW impact was still unclear. Some detractors within the had also been the first Canadian union to pass a labour movement argued that the resolution was boycott resolution against South African apart- “too much, too fast” and that now was not the right heid. time to begin arguing for BDS. Others claimed that The CUPW and CUPE Ontario resolutions in- CUPE Ontario resolution was a one-off exception; dicate that solidarity with Palestinian workers, and unlikely to be replicated in other unions. the recognition that Israel must be isolated in the A little over one year later we can now begin manner of South African apartheid, is becoming to assess these arguments with confidence. Activ- an established principle of a progressive, principled ists in CUPE Ontario responded to the challenge, trade union politics. If we are to wage an effective leading an education campaign within union locals fight against neo-liberal policies such as privatiza- and committees that has been widely praised as the tion, lay-offs and union-busting here in Canada, most effective grassroots campaign in the union’s then we must also stand with workers struggling history. Literally thousands of rank and file CUPE against oppression internationally. The CUPE On- members have received material on Resolution tario International Solidarity Committee puts it 50 or participated in workshops on Palestine. The this way: “International solidarity is fundamental to work has revitalized the CUPE Ontario interna- a progressive and fighting labour movement. It is tional solidarity work, building