LAST month, TUC Congress, representing 5.5 million workers in Britain, unanimously endorsed the demand for an end to all arms trade with Israel. 

Backed by impassioned speeches from Congress delegates, the resolution recognised that Israel’s current genocide follows decades of violations of Palestinian human rights and the imposition of a system of apartheid against all Palestinians, whether they live under illegal military occupation, as Palestinian citizens of Israel, or in exile. The same motion also called for sanctions on Israel and a ramping up of boycott and divestment campaigns. 

This important vote comes at an urgent moment, a year into Israel’s genocidal assault on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. At least 42,000 Palestinians have been killed, over two million people have already been displaced — many of them multiple times — and infrastructure including schools, mosques, hospitals and universities have been destroyed. The entire population has been left facing famine.  

By adopting this position, the TUC has taken the side of human rights and the principles of international law. In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judged the case against Israel for crimes under the Genocide Convention to be plausible. 

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — for crimes against humanity and war crimes. 

In July, the ICJ further ruled that Israel’s decades-long occupation of Gaza, and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, is unlawful and found Israel guilty of violating the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. Most recently, in September, the United Nations general assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for the implementation of the July ruling of the ICJ, including through sanctions against Israel.  

In contrast, the repeated failure of Britain and other Western governments to apply meaningful pressure to secure a ceasefire has encouraged Israel to escalate its criminal actions. Disgracefully, despite having admitted in September that there is a clear risk of them being used for serious violations on international law, Britain continues to export weapons to Israel including vital components for the F-35 fighter jet already known to have been used to massacre Palestinians. 

As a consequence, we pass this horrific anniversary with the genocide in Gaza ongoing, alongside escalating attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Meanwhile Israel is attacking and invading Lebanon — killing thousands in just the past few weeks. We are now confronted with the imminent threat of an even wider war.  

Over the past 12 months, horror at Israel’s genocidal violence and outrage at Britain’s continued complicity have produced one of the largest and most sustained protest movements in the history of this country. 

Workers and trade unionists have played a key role in mobilising for the 20 huge national marches that have taken place as well as hundreds of local demonstrations. Last Thursday, Unison, UCU and NEU members among others took part in a National Workplace Day of Action to express their solidarity. On November 29, further workplace actions will be held to mark the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. 

Palestinian trade unionists too, are at the forefront of their people’s struggle for freedom and justice. Workers in key sectors — notably health workers and journalists — have frequently borne the brunt of Israel’s genocidal violence. This week, a damning UN investigation found Israel guilty of committing war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination through its relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities in Gaza. 

Since October 2023, at least 128 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel. Trade unions in Palestine have called upon their counterparts and all people of conscience around the world to take action to demand a ceasefire and to put pressure on governments and institutions to stop arming Israel. 

On October 19, trade union activists will come together in London for a conference organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), to hear from leading Palestinian and British trade unionists, and discuss how we can respond to these calls and translate them into concrete action. 

One key focus will be divestment: securing the disinvestment of funds from companies that are complicit in Israel’s crimes. Under the previous Tory government, an attempt was made to try to ban public bodies from making ethical choices about spending or investment. The welcome defeat of the toxic “anti-boycott Bill” has opened the way to campaigners — often taking inspiration from the movement against apartheid in South Africa — seeking to cut financial ties between institutions in this country and those who are engaged in violations of human rights and international law. 

Millions of trade union members have a direct stake in this work. PSC’s research has previously uncovered that Local Government Pension Scheme funds, administered by councils, collectively invest £4.4 billion in companies enabling Israel’s crimes. This includes companies supplying weapons used in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians, and companies conducting business activity in, or with, Israel’s illegal settlements. The deferred wages saved by workers in Britain are being used to fund genocide and facilitate a system of apartheid.

As one delegate told TUC Congress in September: “Solidarity does not end at the factory gate.” Building support among trade unionists for an end to the ongoing genocide, and to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people must be an urgent priority. Join PSC’s trade union conference on October 19 and take a stand for justice, freedom and equality.