“This Thursday, a number of unions, in affiliation with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, have organised a ‘workplace day of action’ in support of the Palestinian cause.
This represents a continued failure of unions to support workers if they are Jewish. Whatever the stated intent, attempts to bring this issue into the workplace in such a fashion will undoubtedly add to the belligerent atmosphere which many Jewish staff have been facing across a variety of sectors – and highlights an ongoing issue whereby certain unions have prioritised gesture politics over the welfare of Jewish workers in their sector, resulting in an exodus of Jews from such unions.
“Schools in particular are under a legal obligation to ensure that pupils receive a balanced presentation of opposing views. We urge any institution to think very carefully about whether it is wise for their place of work to be drawn into a bitter ongoing conflict.
“This war started because Hamas, a terrorist organisation which has sought to subdue trade unions in Gaza, launched a murderous campaign against southern towns in Israel on 7 October, murdering, torturing, raping and kidnapping Israeli civilians. It has then fought a war from the midst of the Palestinian civilian population, preventing them from using its extensive tunnel network for shelter, whilst continuing to hold Israeli hostages there.
“It is time for these unions to decide, are they there to support workers or to play student politics on a conflict on whose facts they appear to be plainly ignorant.”