PALESTINE
It’s TIME
FREEDOM AND SELF DETERMINATION FOR ALL PALESTINIANS!!
INTRODUCTION
The information contained in this booklet reflects a summary of my observations during a recent trip to Palestine in July/August 2023 as part of a Union study tour organised by the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network. My observations are not necessarily a reflection of the ETU’s views. I take full responsibility for the accuracy of the reports and also the provision of appropriate attribution if and when required. I hope you find this information of use as we all reflect on the past, current and future opportunities for a free and prosperous Palestine and human rights for all Palestinians.
Andrew Irvine
SUMUD & Handallah
SUMUD
Translates to “steadfastness”
HANDALLAH
A potent symbol of the Palestinian struggle for justice and self determination
Handallah is an iconic Palestinian cartoon character drawn by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali and featured in many of his and others works, such as the one above illustrations.
Handallah represents a Palestinian refugee child of 10 years old [the age of al-Ali when he was forced out of Palestine by Israeli forces during their ethnic cleansing operations during al-Nakba in 1948] with his back turned to the world.
Naji al-Ali was assassinated on July 1987 in London.
WHERE DO THE CHILDREN PLAY?
Illustrations from childrens books written by Palestinian refugee children in Occupied Palestine
THE VIOLENCE OF OCCUPATION
Illegal Israeli settler carrying semi automatic at checkpoint
Palestinian driver arrested metres away at same checkpoint
THE WALLS OF OPPRESSION
THETRUTHONTHEGROUND Permits Apartheid&TheWalls
ViolenceofOccupation
IllegalSettlements&The VanishingPalestine WorkersRights(Lackof)
HousingandLand ResisttoExist Prisoners&Prisons(The Injusticesystem)
PERMITS
Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem require permits to undertake myriad activities, including to work, run a business, access healthcare, schools, roads and many more. In fact Israel issues over 100 different permits that impact on almost every aspect of Palestinain life, each with a cost and time limit. Failure to carry and present a permit is an offence and can result in being tried in an Israeli Military Court.
APARTHEID & THE WALL
Apartheid
The term apartheid was originally used for a political system in South Africa that enforced racial segregation and oppression. It has since been adopted by the international community to condemn and criminalise such systems and practices worldwide. Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem face an apartheid system that divides and rules according to race and religion. They are subject to numerous restrictions such as housing, permits, checkpoints, and walls that restrict their access to work, services, and land. Israeli settlements are built while Palestinians face financial and administrative impediments to building homes.
The Walls
Millions of Palestinians of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem live behind a 700km plus separation barrier. Concrete walls twice as high as the Berlin wall surround Palestinian towns and cities, electronic fences fortified by watchtowers, sniper posts, mine fields, ditches, barbed wire, patrol roads, surveillance cameras, electronic warning devises and patrols. Israel calls it a Separation Barrier to highlight the main purpose separating Israelis and Palestinians – This is by definition pure Apartheid. The wall is ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice because it restricts Palestinian access to work, services and land.
During our trip we heard stories and saw for ourselves the sheer size and scope of the walls. The most compelling and confronting stories showed how families were torn apart and communities seprerated by the man made monstroseties. The situation in Gaza prior to Oct 7 was also particularly grim, with Israel effectively blockading the strip for the past 15 years, controlling all air and sea access while land access was also severely curtailed.
APARTHEID&THEWALL CONTINUED
The reality on the ground is the wall represents discrimination, disconnection and dislocation of lives and livelihoods, neighbours and neighbourhoods – the Jericho Rd section is a prime example where the wall has been built strategically straight across a main road, cutting off trading routes and Palestinian villages in half. The impact on children is immense.
As Prominent South African Anti-Apartheid activist Rev Allan Boesak notes, Israelis have taken the Apartheid system and perfected it so to speak.
“… I don’t think it ever even entered the mind of any (South African) Apartheid planner to design a town in such a way that there is a physical wall that separates people and that that wall denoted your freedom of movement, your freedom of economic gain, of employment, and at the same time is a tool of intimidation and dehumanisation.”
THEVIOLENCEOF OCCUPATION
Over the short time I spent in the Occupied Palestinian Territories I saw state violence and oppression through the lens of a privileged observer and it made me feel unsafe, I can only imagine what it would be like to experience this day in day out, shamefully this is and has been the reality for Palestinians for more than 50 years. From a personal perspective having a fully loaded gun pointed directly at me by a young Israeli soldier with his finger firmly on the trigger as I walked through the Jerusalem old city was, is and will always be chilling.
Checkpoints and road obstructions – The threat of state violence, through facial recognition, snipers, pill boxes, the turnstiles, the queues, the military checking passports and visas and subjective targeting is everpresent. The array of checkpoints range from large military checkpoints to flying checkpoints, road closures, boulders and dirt mound obstructions, all aimed at denying Palestinian access to their own lands while protecting illegal settlers, no area is safe for Palestinians. For Palestinian workers getting through a checkpoint can take up to four hours to travel the distance of Brisbane City to Logan.
ILLEGALSETTLEMENTS &DISAPPEARING PALESTINE
Through observation and discussion it was clear that Israel was using civil and military infrastructure to rapidly increase its Illegal settlement building program. This was evidenced by the construction of massive towns and cities connected by Israeli-only road networks that cut access to neighboring Palestinian villages. Military checkpoints, walls and obstructions deny Palesinians access to their livestock, water, productive lands, and olive groves, isolating and ethnically cleansing Palestinian villages and Bedouin outposts. Up to 700,000 Israeli settlers live illegally in 279 settlements across the occupied West Bank, including 14 in occupied East Jerusalem, where 229,000 of the 700,000 live. At least 147 of these settlements are outposts, illegal even under Israeli domestic law.
PALESTINIAN WORKERS
Limitedoptionsexistforworkersintheoccupied PalestinianTerritories,includingJerusalem.Theycan workinPalestinian-basedbusinessesorserviceswith lowpay,minimumwageis1886Shekelsamonth (approximately$775AUD)ortheycaninlimited circumstancesapplyforaworkpermittoworkinIsraeli Settlements,constructionsitesorIndustrialZones wheretheminimumpayis5000Shekelsamonth (around$2000)butthereisacatch–corrupt employmentbrokersusethepermitsystem–legalbut morallybankrupttoextortbetween25%and33%ofthe wagetoconnectPalestinainsworkerswithanIsraeli employer.Thisflawedsystemleadstocorruptionand abuse.
Weheardharrowingstoriesofphysicalabuseand exploitationasworkersstruggletoorganise,manywork permitsaretimespecificandworkersarelegally requiredtoleaveorfacearrest.PalestinianWorkersalso facethemilitarycheckpointsdayindayout.Therewere approximately200,000Palestiniansworkinginthe SettlementsorIsraelatthetimeofourvisit.Manyof thesehavenowbeensuspendedascollective punishmentofPalestiniansrampsup.Thetableshows howPalestinianconstructionworkerswereexploited.
PALESTINIAN WORKERS
(USD)
UNIONS
What became increasingly clear to us was that this was no normal Union environment, the Anger Hope Action phase of organising rarely gets above Anger, and it became increasingly clear that unions were about servicing and survival both figuratively and literally. It was clear violence is a daily reality for many Palestinian workers in transport, government services and agriculture, where just getting to work and home was a matter of life and death. Palestinian workers and by extension their unions continue to suffer under an entrenched and expanding occupation. Movement of people and goods remain restricted as are workers rights. There was a general feeling of dispair at the continuing lack of opportunities. High unemployment and poverty were rife.
The Unions we met ranged from
The Histadrut in Israel – the Jewish equivalent of the ACTU –essentially a collector of dues from Palestinian workers in Israel, with limited if any real power or desire to represent Palestinian workers.
PGFTU – Palestinian similar to the ACTU – largest membership base in dispute with Histadrut over dues, has many sectors. Generally servicing and support.
GUPT – Teachers – well organised and powerful within education system in Palestine.
NEW Federation of Unions – fledging union trying to organise across areas with limited success.
While we were in the OPT we were aware of massive protests taking place across Israel in opposition to Netanyahu’s hard right judicial overhaul, some Unions we met felt that this protest movement could form part of the future leadership of a one or two state solution (WAC-Ma’an Trade Union).
HOUSING&LAND
The reality of life for Palestinians living in occupied Jerusalem under the apartheid system is bleak. Illegal Israeli settlements are popping up everywhere encroaching on Palestinian neighborhoods. While it is simple for illegal settlers to apply for and be granted building permission it is extremely difficult for Palestinians to build homes, they face fees up to 100k shekels to just apply to build, while the process can take decades. Meanwhile the demolition of Palestinian homes is a constant threat (where a home is demolished the owner is charged for the clean up). Illegal settlement expansion and rezoning are diluting the Palestinian population and creating fear. While Palestinian villages and Israeli settlemets may come under the same Jerusalem council the provision of essential services like electricity, water, rubbish removal, footpaths, green spaces etc are all affected by the Apartheid system. Palestinians must carry residency permits and reapply every ten years, proving their allegiance to Israel and Jerusalem, while the process of obtaining a birth certificate can take months.
Yazan tells his story, “As a ‘permanent’ Palestinian resident of Jerusalem I have to reapply every 10 years for residency, keep a massive amount of documents, prove our allegiance to Israel and prove that Jerusalem is the centre of our life, all the while we are under constant threat of administrative review and revocation of our residency, we have to carry our residency permit with us at all times to prove we have the right to be here on our own land. And it took eight months to get my new baby a birth certificate.”
DOINGBUSINESSIN APARTHEIDPALESTINE
During our trip we heard from Palestinian American businessman Sam Bahur about the obstacles and absurdity of oppression, economic apartheid and the use of time as a weapon. Israeli policies of land control and domination over the Palestinian people has led to stunted economic development. Israel further pursues dedevelopment of occupied Palestinian territories through measures like the destruction of means of production, restrictive business permits, banking constraints, and other restrictions on resources and access to foreign markets such as arbitrary “dual use” lists of products it restricts Palestinians from importing.
“As with all aspects of our lives business is the same, we are tied up to fail, we are not only under military occupation but we are also under administrative occupation – where time is used a weapon”
RESISTTOEXIST
AsanationalPalestinianconcept,sumud,or, literallytranslated,“steadfastness,”carries themeaningofastrongdeterminationto stayinthecountryandontheland.
PRISONERSAND PRISONS
TheJudicialSysteminWestBankandEastJerusalem:ASystemof Apartheid
ThearchitectureofapartheidcharacterizesthejudicialsystemintheWest BankandEastJerusalem,whichareunderIsraelicontrol.Thissystem subjectsPalestinianstomilitaryraids,arrests,andcourtappearances, oftenresultinginalifetimeoftraumafortheprisoner,theirfamilies,and theirvillage.TheMilitaryCourttriesalmosteveryoffenseallegedtohave beencommittedbyPalestinians,andtheinhumaneprocessesthatoccur withinmakeshiftdongasincludingthedraconianadministrativedetention, leavemanyPalestinianswithnochoicebuttopleadguilty.Coerced confessionsarecommon,andalmosteverycourtappearance(98%)leads toaguiltyverdictandincarcerationforPalestinianschargedwithanything fromtrafficinfringementstopoliticalactivismandthrowingstones.
Ourgroupspokewithamotherwhohadtraveledalongdistancetothe militarycourttoseeherhearing-impairedsonstandinthedockforthe thirdtime.Thesoldiershadstormedintotheirhouseinthedeadofnight, shoutingracistabuseandinsultsastheytooktheboyawayincableties toadarkenedroomtobeinterrogated.Aftersometime,hewastakento prisoninanarmyvehicle,leavingthefamilyangry,terrified,andinshock. Thiswasnotthefirsttimethatthefamilyhadexperiencedsuchtrauma. Fourofherboyshadbeenarrested,targetedassoonastheyhadreached theageof17.Shehadanothersonwhowas15,andshewasfearfulforhis safety.Shetellsuswilltearswellingupinhereyes,shesleepswith“one eyeopenwaitingforthenextinevitableraidandachangeofclothesunder herpillow,theydon’tgiveyouanytimetodresstheyhavenorespectfor mineandmydaughter’sdignity”
Onaverage,therewereeightmilitaryraidspernightacrosstheWestBank whilewewerethere,whereyoungPalestinianboyswerearrestedfor anythingfromintenttothrowstones,drivingviolationstohavingpolitical flyersorflyingflags.Thefamily'scasewasadjournedagain,resultingin yetanothermonthinprisonfortheirson,andfurthertraumaforthis motherandherfamily.
INSPIRINGSTORIES OFRESISTENCE
Fromfarmingtoorganising WA’ACmakesanimpression
Case study 1 – APHEDA – Empowering communities through education, empowerment, and collectivism
Danae Bosler from Victorian Trades Hall Council and secretary of the Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA board, also took part in the delegation. She said: “A highlight of the trip was visiting a women’s organic farming cooperative in Deir al Sudan, a village not far from Ramallah, which receives APHEDA funding so the women’s co-op can grow and manage their own produce for sale. The women have overcome challenges ranging from sexism in their community, to access to water, supplies and storage facilities. The women are truly mighty and fierce, and despite language barriers, it was clear our meeting brought a touch of international solidarity as we shared laughter over a traditional lunch.”
“TheMA’ANDevelopmentCentreprovidesthe womenequipment,technicaltrainingandsupport, forexampleongovernanceandcollectivedecisionmakingincooperatives.MA’ANisoneofPalestine’s largestnationalNGOsandproudlyAPHEDA contributedtheirfirst$50,000over30yearsago whentheyweresettingup.”TheETUisaproud supporterofAPHEDA–youcanjoin
https://www.apheda.org.au/join/
Case Study 2 – MA'AN
- Organising in the settlements and Industrial Zones. Voices for the Voiceless.
The story of the MA'AN Workers Association and its commitment to organise on the frontline despite threats and intimidation, and the workers who quite literally put their lives on the line to stand up and be counted. As we meet with Assaf Adiv, the director of MA'AN in the trade unions' unremarkable office in East Jerusalem, you get the feeling we are about to be educated on what life is truly like for Palestinian workers who, due to the high unemployment and low wages on offer in the OPT, take the perilous journey to work in Israeli-owned and controlled Industrial Zones. And we were. Assaf talked about a wide range of issues, the state of politics, the democracy movement in Israel fighting against the fascist government, the ways he hopes to develop links across the divide to fight for democracy and rights for all citizens, but his passion is clearly workers and more specifically workers' rights to bargain and work safely. The next few hours we meet inspiring workers and their representatives who are making a difference. We talk to an impressive team of organisers, admin, lawyers, and other representatives who update us on the state of poverty and unemployment suffered by Palestinian residents in Jerusalem. They also give examples of the good work MA'AN is doing to encourage women to enter the workforce and protect their rights.
Afterthemeeting,weheadedouttotheMishorEdomim IndustrialZonenearthePalestiniantownofHizmainthe occupiedWestBanktomeetwithunionmembersandleaders organisingintheIndustrialZone.Wearrive.It'sknock-offtime, andhundredsofworkersarestreamingoutofthecomplex.Two workersgetinthevan,andweheadofftoahomeinHizma, wherewearewelcomedinlikebrothersandsisterswithcoffee, biscuits,cakes.Weareallcomradeshere.Wearejoinedby anotherfourmemberseagertosharetheirstory.Onestorythat reallyhithomewasthatofHatem,amemberoftheWorkers' CommitteeinZarfatiGarageintheIndustrialZone.Hatemspoke abouthisexperienceandthatofthegarageworkersinunion organisation,industrialaction,solidarity,andreachinga collectiveagreement.
Youcanreadabouttheextraordinaryexampleofcollectivism andstandingtogetherinthemostextremecircumstances here.
AlongwithHatem’sstorywealsoheardmorestoriesfromthe unionfrontline,includinghowtheunionhelpedworkersgain theirentitlementswhencompanieswentbankrupt,aswellas howtheunionisworkinghardtocrackdownontheimmoral practicesaroundthetradeandexploitationofworkpermits wherePalestinianworkers,workinginIsraelcanberequiredto payupto33%oftheirincometopermitbrokers,justforthe righttowork.
MA’ANiscurrentlyseekingsupportforaGreenCardprocess thatprovidesworkerswiththechoiceandtakesawaythefee chargedbybrokers.Readmoreabouttheunionscampaignfora workersGreenCard here
FINAL WORDS
I saw a Palestinian population with high literacy rates face unemployment and oppression from the occupier. Despite the discriminatory hurdles, entrepreneurs survive. Farmers and horticulturalists innovate to grow crops and nurture animals in harsh environments, but are limited by access to water and power. Communities are fragmented by grotesque structures, including a 700km Apartheid wall, military pillboxes, sniper towers, razor wire, facial recognition, mines, and checkpoints. Artists and writers create beautiful works tinged with dispossession, discrimination, and oppression. Palestinians face daily indignities, such as hours-long queues and visa checks conducted by fully armed soldiers at military checkpoints. Illegal Jewish settlements encroach on Palestinian homes and villages, and workers must pay brokers up to 33% of their pay in fees just to work. Yet I met emerging unions and civil society advocates fighting for Palestinian workers and communities despite funding reductions and the threat of being labelled a terrorist organisation. They are the heroes and the voices that must be elevated. What I saw moved me, angered me but above all else it empowered me to speak up and speak out and share the stories of those I met, stories of state oppression and the crimes of Apartheid and Collective Punishment against the Palestinian people.
Peaceismorethananabsenceofwar.MilitaryOccupationis notPeace,ApartheidisnotPeace,OppressionisnotPeace, SilenceisViolence.
WeneedmorethanaCeasefire.Weneedinternational leadershipandsolutionsthatfreePalestineandPalestinians fromillegaloccupationandthecrimesofApartheid,Collective PunishmentandGenocide.
IknowtherearemanyETUmemberswhofeelillequippedto argueforanendtoIsraelioccupationinPalestine,orfeelas thoughtheymaybebrandedasananti-semiteorracistif theysupportthePalestinianstruggle.Othersdon’tseethisas Unionbusiness.ThefactsareIsraelunderitscurentextreme rightwinggovernmentwerefloutinginternationallawand committingcrimesagainsthumanityBefore theHamas attackon7thOctober2023,theydidsoinplainsight,theydid sowithlittleinternationalcondemnation.
TheverocityofIsrael’sreponseandit’songoing indescriminatekillingofwomenandchildreninGazaandits reignofterrorintheWestBankmustbecondemned,lestwe repeatthemistakesofthepast.
“The Israeli government, fights against human rights, democracy and equality and propagates the opposite: authoritarianism, discrimination, racism and Apartheid. Accusing Israel of Apartheid is not anti-Semitic. It describes reality.”
Amos Goldberg, a leading professor of the Holocaust at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, August 27 2023