Trade Union Friends of Israel:
Peace Process

The history of attempts to make peace between Israeli’s and Palestinians can make for depressing reading, a litany of setbacks and missed opportunities. Yet despite this history it remains clear that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians still support a two-state solution to the conflict.

The roots of the Oslo peace process can be traced back to two conflicts that changed the political dynamic in the region: the Palestinian First Intifada (Uprising) and the First Gulf War. The First Intifada marked a radical shift in the situation in the occupied territories. Sparked by the killing of four Palestinian workers by an Israeli truck on December 6th 1986, violence claimed the lives of thousand seven hundred people. Importantly the uprising was initially instigated by activists on the ground in Palestine such as Marwan Barghouti and Mohammed Dahlan, rather than the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Tunis. The PLO gained some level of control as events progressed, especially once Jordan had ended its territorial claim on the West Bank in 1988 allowing Yasser Arafat to declare Palestinian independence in the West Bank and Gaza.

Continue reading "The Elusive search for Israeli-Palestinian Peace" »

via Onevoice

Text of Palestinian Prisoners' Document - National Conciliation Document of the Prisoners - by Marwan Barghouthi, Abdul Khaleq al Natsheh and Coalition of Prisoners
May 11, 2006

In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,

"Abide by the decree of God and never disperse" (a verse from the Holy Quran)

Based on the high sense of national and historical responsibility and due to the dangers facing our people and for the sake of reinforcing and consolidating the Palestinian internal front and protection of national unity and the unity of our people in the homeland and in the Diaspora, and in order to confront the Israeli scheme that aims to impose the Israeli solution which blows up the dream of our people and the right of our people in establishing their independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty; this scheme that the Israeli government intends to implement in the next phase as establishment of the erection and completion of the apartheid wall and the Judaization of Jerusalem and the expansion of the Israeli settlements and the seizure of the Jordan Valley and the annexation of vast areas of the West Bank and blocking the path in front of our people to exercise their right of return.

In order to maintain the accomplishments of our people achieved in long struggle path and in loyalty to the martyrs of our great people and the pains of their prisoners and the agony of their injured, and based on the fact that we are still passing through a liberation phase with nationalism and democracy as the basic features, and this imposes a political struggle strategy that meets with these features and in order to make the Palestinian comprehensive national dialogue succeed, and based on the Cairo Declaration and the urgent need for unity and solidarity, we present this document (the national conciliation document) to our great steadfast people and to President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and to the PLO Leadership and to the PM Ismail Hanieh and to the Council of Ministers and to the Speaker of the PNC and to the members of the PNC and to the Speaker and members of the PLC and to all Palestinian forces and factions and to all nongovernmental and popular organizations and institutions and to leadership of Palestinian public opinion in the homeland and in the Diaspora.

Hoping to consider this document as one whole package and with the hope to see this document get the support and approval of everybody and that it can contribute to reach a Palestinian national conciliation document.

Continue reading "FULL TEXT OF THE NATIONAL CONCILIATION DOCUMENT OF THE PRISONERS" »

The decades long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remains one of the most talked about and contested issues on the international stage. Palestinians and Israeli’s are still being killed or wounded on a regular basis, both combatants and innocent civilians whilst many, especially but not exclusively on the Palestinian side, are living in poverty.

TUFI believes in the pressing need for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders. This is not only essential for the Palestinian people, it is of crucial importance for Israel as it will never attain peace and security whilst the clear national aspirations of the Palestinians remain unfulfilled. Both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to live their lives without fear of violence and TUFI believes that British trade unionists should play their part to help them break the cycle of violence.

TUFI’s primary role is to encourage relations between British Trade Unions and their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts to strengthen the role they play in supporting peace and social justice in the region. However, we believe that trade unionists can play an active role to support those in the peace movement who are working in a consistently difficult atmosphere. We believe that constructive action to help those who are working for peace on both sides can make an important contribution in bringing an end to decades of suffering.

Continue reading "Working for Peace- TUFI and Peace Groups " »

The Geneva Accord is a model Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement created by a broad group of moderate Israeli and Palestinian politicians and civil society activists. These include Israeli politicians such as Meretz leader Yossi Belin, former Labour leader Amram Mizna and close associate of Amir Peretz MK Yuli Tamir as well as prominent former military figures and members of civil society. On the Palestinian side a range of civil society groups are represented and the Palestinian steering committee includes several leading members of the PLC including Minister for Prisoner Affairs Hisham Abdel-Raziq and PLO executive member Yasser Abed- Rabbo.

The accord seeks to provide a vision of a potential final status solution that might be acceptable to both sides. The Accord was created at a non-governmental summit in 2003 at one of the bleakest times during the peace process. Though the principles laid out in the Accord are far from being implemented, its publication is seen by many as a contributory factor in the moves made by Israel in the Gaza disengagement, and maintained the pressure on both parties to move towards a final status solution to the conflict.

Continue reading "The Geneva Accord" »