Graham Matthews
Australian trade unionists have joined the call for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, and for an immediate ceasefire.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is promoting the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions' call for an immediate ceasefire.
Tim Gooden, secretary of the Geelong and Region Trades Hall Council, agrees with the demand for a cease-fire, but says that the ACTU needs to recognise that the aggressor is the Israeli state. "The Israeli defence force is raining destruction on Lebanon and Gaza, with the death of over 800 Lebanese, and 150 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians", he told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly. He said that the July 30 attack on civilians sheltering in an apartment block in Qana "shows the brutality of the Israeli government".
Unionists are also calling for justice for Palestinians. Not only should Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, "there needs to be a resolution that guarantees sovereignty and a homeland for the Palestinian people", Tim Vollmer, media officer for the NSW branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) told GLW. "They also need a secure boundary. Without an end to the constant threat of incursions and home demolitions there isn't going to be a resolution to this conflict."
"The Maritime Union of Australia condemns the attack on Lebanon by Israel, which is supported by the United States and Australian governments", Kevin Bracken, Victorian MUA state secretary told GLW. "Israel is dishing up collective punishment to an entire nation."
"The pretext for Israel's assault is Hezbollah's rocket attacks from Lebanon's southern border. Lebanon has virtually no military forces to protect itself. Israel's extreme over-kill response is nothing but a disgrace", Bracken said.
"Warfare is never an option for resolving issues", Vollmer said. Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon will not resolve the long-standing problem of the Palestinians' right to a homeland, he added.
The CFMEU is supporting the demonstrations against Israeli aggression in Sydney. The first rally, on July 22, attracted some 15,000 people and another mass protest has been planned for August 12. The union is also promoting the issues to its membership.
Bracken, who spoke at a community protest in Melbourne on July 22, said Israel must end its occupation of Lebanon and Gaza. "Supporting such extreme military adventurism can only lead to enhanced conflict. There's also the potential to embroil the entire region in conflict, which will have dire consequences for the whole world."
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, at its July 24-28 national conference, called on the United Nations "and other influential bodies/countries to intercede on behalf of the Lebanese people and encourage Israel to cease its assault on the virtually defenceless Lebanese population". The conference also voted to "recognise the 'refusnik' movement of Israeli soldiers, who refuse to serve inside the Occupied Territories as a legitimate expression of the Israeli people's wishes for peace".
Gooden agreed. "For 58 years, Palestinians have been driven from their homelands, creating one of the largest and longest-running refugee crises in modern times. This injustice is at the root of the current conflict. All Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to Palestine, with full rights. Israel must withdraw from all the Occupied Territories in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, and stop threatening its neighbours."
"Workers must support those Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli workers who say the Israeli regime should immediately cease its fire against Lebanon and the people of Gaza", Gooden added. "We want the Australian government to pressure Israel to unconditionally implement all United Nations resolutions, withdraw from the Occupied Territories and dismantle all the illegal 'settlements'."
Union Aid Abroad — APHEDA is conducting two appeals for humanitarian assistance, one for families in Gaza and another for families in Burj el-Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon. To donate, phone 1800 888 674 or visit .