BITUD is still shocked and appalled at the Hamas’ assault on Israel on 7 October: the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust and an attack which provoked a devastating conflict in Gaza which has brought nothing but suffering to the Palestinian people. 

Our longstanding commitment for working towards Israeli and Palestinian trade union cooperation will not falter. Despite the current conflict and the terrible cost to all sides, eventually we need a two-state peace agreement that brings security and dignity to both sides in this far too long ongoing conflict. Our part is to get this message out and work with supporters in the region to enable this. 

We are also very concerned that the conflict in the region has caused intercommunity strife and division in Britain. Whilst we acknowledge everyone's right to demonstrate and voice their concerns this must be done in a sensitive and peaceful way. For many the demonstrations and marches have gone far beyond legitimate protesting to outright hate speech and intimidation that has no place in our society.  We as trade unionists must work together to be able to air our concerns on how you see the current conflict without resorting to threats or violence. 

The rising tension in the Middle East has fundamentally one root cause: the Iranian regime’s four-decade-long visceral hatred of Israel and its desire to extend its power and influence throughout the region. 

Through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran funds, arms, trains and directs “the axis of resistance”, a network of proxy armies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and Iraqi Shia militia. 

They are committed to the destruction of Israel and the liberal democratic values it upholds and they further Iran’s goal of using brute force to carve out a sphere of influence stretching from the Mediterranean coast through Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. 

As we have repeatedly stated, we now urgently need an end to the fighting and an immediate, permanent and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza – one which ensures the release of the Israeli hostages; enables a massive and immediate increase in humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians; and ends Hamas’ disastrous rule of Gaza. 

The recent unprecedented general strike called by the Histadrut to protest against the current policy of the government demonstrates the commitment of the Israeli trade union movement to move forward with a plan to get the hostages released and end this current war. 

Beyond this, we continue to support the Biden administration’s post-war plan. We support a swift return to meaningful direct negotiations toward a two-state solution.