Dear colleagues,
The conditions of life and work for our colleagues workers in Palestine and for the Palestinian people are very difficult and they are constantly getting worse. The state of Israel limits the Palestinian people in a smaller and smaller part of the Palestinian ground.
The Israeli settlements and the military bases at the West Bank and at Jerusalem are constantly being expanded.
In the densely populated Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation usurps the 24% of the total area and it has made an isolation zone with a fence along the eastern border between Gaza Strip and Israel. The embargo that has been imposed prohibits the Palestinian fish men from having access to the sea at a distance longer than 6 miles from the shore, depriving them of the possibility to support their families.
At the fertile West Bank, the Israeli prohibit many Palestinian farmers from cultivating their land and they also destroy or transfer their crops to Israel.
These strategies lead to the increase of the unemployment, which in some areas reaches 70%. They deprive the Palestinian refugees who live in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan from their right to go back to their homeland.
From 2000 to 2017, more than 10.0000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, while today there are 7.875 Palestinian prisoners, among whom 376 children.
Every year the Palestinian people organize demonstrations on the occasion of the murder of 15.000 Palestinians on the 15th May 1948 and the displacement of other 750.000 that time period (Nakba Day) , as well as the seizure of big areas of Palestinian land on the 30th March 1976 from Israel (Land Day).
Over the last weeks, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire against these peaceful demonstrations in the whole occupied Palestine and especially in Gaza, and in cold blood, they killed hundreds of unarmed Palestinians, even workers of the First Aid and children. Thousands of demonstrators were injured as well. At the same time, during the days of the Nakba, the President of the USA recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the embassy of USA was transferred to Jerusalem. This decision of the President Trump is an illegal decision that once again sets fire to the area.
As the World Federation of Trade Unions, from the day of our foundation and as a matter of principles, we firmly support the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation and aggression and we fight for the recognition of the independent Palestinian state in the borders of 1967, with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital. Moreover, a permanent demand of the WFTU is the liberation of all the Palestinian political prisoners and the end of all the obstacles and the blockades that are imposed by Israel. The WFTU along with the heroic GUPW, have developed a large number of militant initiatives, campaigns, denunciations against the murderous action of Israel, protests all over the world, so as to express in practice the internationalist solidarity of all the workers with the Palestinian people. In the framework of this joint, fraternal action, we are co-organizing this important and timely initiative in Ramallah.
Colleagues,
The movements that take place in the level of the National community and of the United Nations, the decisions of the UN about the recognition of the Palestinians’ rights, the recognition of the Palestinian state from 138 countries, unfortunately, are not enough to oblige Israel to withdraw from its imperialistic strategy against the Palestinian people.
The workers of Palestine , through the ranks of the General Union of Palestine Workers, have to organize their resistance against the strategy of the state of Israel and its allies, and they have to fight for a life and work with dignity in an independent and sovereign country. The workers of all the countries have to intensify their internationalist solidarity.
In this direction, the WFTU and the General Union of Palestine Workers, founding member of WFTU, we are inviting you to the International Conference in Ramallah, on the 1st October 2018, on the topic :
”Jerusalem, eternal capital of Palestine”
We are inviting the organizations, members and friends of WFTU and all the militant trade unions without any exception, to take part in this Conference , demonstrating, from the land of Palestine as well, the will of the organized, class-oriented, militant, world trade union movement to put an end end to the occupation and exploitation of the natural resources and of the position of Palestine and of its people by the imperialists. The Palestinian people, the workers of Palestine are not alone. We are all on their side.
Each organization can send the participation of up to two (2) delegates to the following email: [email protected] as soon as possible.
During the Conference , the cost of accommodation and food will be covered. The cost of the air tickets will not be covered.
If someone needs visa, please send a copy of his/her passport in order to receive a personal invitation.