Joint Statement from Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies of British Jews

Response to TUC statements on the Middle East

Responding to today’s discussions on the Middle East at the Annual TUC conference, Jeremy Newmark, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council and Jon Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews [both Fair Play Campaign board members], have issued the following statement:

“We are genuinely saddened that, in passing the FBU motion and adopting elements of the General Council statement, the TUC have damaged their ability to act as an honest broker building bridges between Israelis and Palestinians. The TUC has a noble record as a positive and unifying element in British life and in international relations.  This new policy will only create discord and divisiveness, masking a pro-boycott agenda behind the smokescreen of opposition to settlements.

The TUC has committed to supporting a two-state solution. They have asked unions to fund joint Histadrut/PGFTU projects. These constructive positions are totally incompatible with the decision to work closely with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, an organisation whose own logo wipes Israel off the map.

The Jewish community has many friends in the heart of the Trade Union movement, some of whom fought for a more balanced position. We are grateful to them. However, we made it clear to TUC leaders before their conference that a ‘deal’ which retained the language of boycotts would not address our concerns.

The fact that within moments of this statement was released conference delegates voted for a another extreme hardline pro-boycott motion proposed by the FBU is evidence that our concerns are well placed, and that TUC leaders must act against the harmful influence of the PSC within their unions. We insist that TUC leaders immediately clarify that this motion does not stand as TUC policy.

Israel’s strong, independent trade union movement works closely with the Palestinian trade unions to protect the rights of all workers.  It is particularly ironic that implementation of the TUC’s policy will harm the employment of many of those Palestinians.

Our communal leaders will respond robustly to this policy, which risks driving a wedge between British Jews and the Trade Union movement. Our response will be threefold:

• Firstly, we will be asking the TUC leadership to act swiftly and decisively to reassert their opposition to a boycott of Israel, and advise their member unions accordingly. We expect the General Council’s statement to be used as a licence to boycott by anti-Israel activists.

• Secondly, we will actively expose the discriminatory politics of the PSC, in order to frustrate their hijacking of Trade Unions to promote their anti-Israel and anti-peace agenda.

• Thirdly, we will be encouraging members of our own community to fight back, by getting involved in Trade Unions and speaking out.”

Commenting on the coming boycott debate at TUC Congress Jeremy Newmark, CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council and Fair Play board member, said:

Despite the anti-boycott stance of many TUC leaders and most ordinary union members, it now looks possible that the pro-boycott camp may succeed in hijacking TUC Conference for their own divisive and discriminatory agenda.

In advance of tomorrow’s debate we hope that delegates and union leaders will reflect carefully and act to ensure that the TUC does not damage its ability to act as an honest broker building bridges between Israelis and Palestinians.

The TUC has a noble record as positive and unifying element in British life and in international relations. The boycott resolution will only create discord and division.

ENDS

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, realeased a statement on boycotts of Israel yesterday. The strong statement, which is below, says “the Government is dismayed that motions calling for boycotts of Israel are being discussed at trade union congresses and conferences this summer”, and that boycotts “obstruct opportunities for co-operation and dialogue and serve only to polarise debate further. Boycotts would only make it harder to achieve the peace that both Palestinians and Israelis deserve and desire”.

Speaking for the Fair Play Campaign Group, Jewish Leadership CEO Jeremy Newmark said:

“It is concerning that matters have reached a point at which senior members of the Government have felt the need to speak out in this manner.  We welcome this clear statement from the Foreign Secretary which, when viewed together with last week’s remarks on boycotts by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, firmly demonstrates that the politics of the boycott movement remain firmly on the extreme fringes of British political life”

Read David Miliband’s full statement below:

Continue reading ‘Foreign Secretary says Israel boycotts make it harder to acheive peace’ »

Speaking at the Conservative Friends of Israel lunch, David Cameron said:

I think there’s something else we need to do which is to say to our academics in this country that boycotts of Israel are completely unacceptable and I think we also need to … say that to the trade unions. I have probably slightly less influence with the trade unions than you do but I’m working on it.

Mr Cameron went on to suggest that his party will help deliver this message to Trade Unions.

Last night, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg delivered the second annual lecture of the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. In a good speech, he specifically condemned moves to boycott Israeli academics. He said:

“..we need to be much more active, more vocal, in our condemnation of antisemitism.

One issue where that is especially true is academic boycotts of Israeli academics. Totally unacceptable. Whether boycotters realise it or not these modern-day exclusions, based on nationality and tied to religion, carry enormous historical baggage. My party has made it clear we find them morally objectionable, and also counterproductive: the only route to peace will only ever be through dialogue.”