More on Israeli Apartheid

Back in class, tensions are higher than they've ever been. Thought I'd put up this video that has me in it from when we were demonstrating outside of Conservative MP Peter Kent's office in Thornhill and some other news on Israeli Apartheid, as next month is Israeli Apartheid at York University.

The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) in Canada commends the membersof the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) in Durban formaking history by being the first group of workers to refuse to offload a shipcoming from Israel and carrying Israeli goods (statement from union and SouthAfrican Solidarity Organizations below). This act is not surprising. Asworkers who have lived under apartheid in South Africa, they understand themiseries of apartheid and the importance of international solidarity work inthe struggle against apartheid regimes. In doing so, the workers are taking astrong position, refusing to accept racism, oppression and apartheid asacceptable norms. Today, South Africa is leading the world in the struggleagainst Israeli apartheid, and giving a clear message, that unless Israel endsthe apartheid system it imposes on the Palestinian people, it will be boycottedby the rest of the world. This act comes at a time when Israel has increased the level and intensity ofits crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The brave South Africanworkers are showing the world that Israel should, and could be held accountablefor its crimes. At the time when the UN and the “international community”have repeatedly letdown the Palestinians, the South African workers have showneveryone that it is not only up to the governments, but also individuals,groups and unions and have the power to hold Israel to account. This act is part of the growing Boycotts Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)campaign against Israel that was called for by 171 Palestinian civil societyorganizations in 2005. This campaign was inspired by the struggle againstapartheid in South Africa, and today, South Africans are inspiring the worldagain by making breakthroughs in the Palestinian BDS campaign. Members of SATAWU are not alone in this struggle. In the past month alone, anumber of unions from different parts of the world, including Australia, NewZealand and Norway joined the struggle against Israeli apartheid by adoptingthe BDS campaign. In Canada, two major labour unions have joined the BDScampaign. In 2006 the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario decidedto adopt the campaign, and in 2008 the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)joined the campaign.

The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) is a Palestine solidarityorganization based in Toronto (Canada) and is part of a growing global movementagainst Israeli apartheid. CAIA was formed in January 2006 and is active indifferent levels including among students, faculty, labor unions and highschools. For more details, please visit the website www.caiaweb.org or send anemail to endapartheid@riseup.net.