The town had almost become completely bomb sheltered including bus stops, schools and playgrounds covered in concrete. We met with a trauma psychiatrist who had treated 3,000 families with visits over the last eleven years. However despite all this she still wants peace and reconciliation with her Gazan neighbours. A nice point.

We then saw and handled samples of the spent rockets in the same location that President Obama had visited when he spoke about his distress at what the town’s inhabitants had suffered.

We then went to a vantage point that looked over the Gaza Strip and I was amazed at its closeness to Sderot. Standing there, in the knowledge that you have only a 15 second warning before a rocket lands gives me great sadness and an admiration at the courage of the people living there.

Then a drive north to the Histadrut’s headquarter’s in Tel Aviv to meet with their leader Ofer Eini. He spoke about the current campaign against sub-contract workers that was breaking news that day with a possible national strike next week over it. Ofer was speaking to national tv after our meeting.

We questioned him about representation of Palestinian workers in Israel. He said the Histadrut fully represents legal Palestinian workers but cannot support illegal workers but is also against employers who take on illegal workers. He said whilst he is a member of the Labour Party he does not let this influence his work in representing workers across the political and religious spectrum. He’s got a tough job.

We went for lunch at the Histadrut’s International Institute’s Jewish Arab Institute. They do great work including vocational training, translation and events to benefit the most needy in society. The goals include breaking down barriers in Israeli society and working with other Arab nations and international dialogue but this work sadly is never promoted in the UK.

Back to the hotel and a final meeting with Isaac Herzog, Labour MK. He spoke about his full support for two-states and UN recognition but for it all to be done by negotiation and not coercion.

Iran was very much on his agenda with the likelihood of Iran possessing a nuclear bomb soon. The country is becoming a huge risk to the world and could, if it become a nuclear nation attract other radical countries to join with them. He believes Israel is on the front line.

Finally he said people should come to Israel to form a better understanding of the place, like myself. Hatred of Israel comes a lot from ignorance as much as anti-semitism and other reasons. So get on a TUFI delegation.

Oh well off to final night dinner in Jaffa Port. It’s a hard life and a great visit too.

The union members were keen to point out to their successful negotiation skills but also were not adverse to taking strike action when needed. We had good exchange about the problems facing public sector unions in Britain. They were surprised about the difficulties and offered any help in our struggles.

They are going through a campaign to get contract labour brought back into direct employment by the municipality. This is also a national campaign being run by the Histadrut. There was lots of passionate discussion on this issue.

We then drove to an industrial area of Jerusalem to visit the Berman bakery which was originally located in the Old City of Jerusalem. We were given a warm reception with lots of their products available to eat!

The union leaders spoke about the good industrial relations and the mixed workforce that included fifty per cent Arab. The high standards of working conditions make it a popular place to work as well as the training and education they provide. Union membership is 100 per cent.

Whilst touring the factory I felt that improvements could be made regarding health and safety but it could be worse. We also met a Rabbi who ensures everything adheres to Kosher law!

I was also disappointed to be told about the closure of the Bagel and Bagel plant in the West Bank by Unilever because of the BDS campaign. The factory has now moved to northern Israel and has put over sixty Palestinians out of work. Crazy.

Next was the trip to visit Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust museum. I was deeply moved by what I saw; the evil, the sadness and how we should see this as a warning from history. We shouldn’t forget that.

Despite the ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict which we all want to see resolved there I can see now what the Jewish people feel about how they’ve been treated and what Israel means to them.

The evening was finished off with another dinner with the UKAPSE, a public sector union. What a great day.

Andy Laws
BFAWU

A packed morning’s activity ensued with a comprehensive visit round the Old City of Jerusalem. Venues included the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, the Western Wall and the Via Delorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Whilst here we met people from a variety of Christian backgrounds and also people from Jewish and Arab/Muslim backgrounds. It certainly was a step into a totally different setting and way of life.

In the afternoon the hard work began! We met an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where over lunch members asked him very discerning and insightful questions. Subjects included Israel’s relations with neighbours given the recent Arab Spring, how trade unions could be useful in advancing dialogue and links, to encourage confidence across the divide.

The official informed members as to his feelings re some who would choose to boycott Israel as this won’t advance peace and it also penalises Palestinian workers in his mind.

Following this very informative meeting we then headed to a meeting with Ambassador Grappo from the Office of the Quartet Representative Tony Blair. As Quartet Representative Blair plays a key role acting on behalf of the US, EU, UN and Russia to develop better conditions to enable peace negotiations.

Questions included the working relations between the Quartet members, the problems of dealing with Hamas and the PLO separately and how much power does the Quartet really have to make change. Ambassador Grappo said that they do not have any dealings with Hamas.

We were accompanied by a representative of the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) who spoke of the good work they’ve done with their Palestinian counterparts. A point of contact was made with one of the Quartet officials who sought to learn more about this.

The evening was completed with dinner hosted by the Government Employees’ Union. Most definitely a very good start to the weeks proceedings.

Ian Stevenson
GMB Union

As usual, the trip will involve a full itinerary of briefings with sister unions, factory visits and a tour of the security fence/wall as well as meetings with the Histadrut, the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions(PGFTU), government officials, ministers and many others.

A trade union delegate will be posting on the blog each day, giving you an insight into their experiences and opinions. And we will also be posting photos and videos as the delegation progresses.

You will also be able to follow the TUFI delegation on the road with Twitter, and keep up-to-date with our RSS feed.

We look forward to reading your comments!

• Patricia Fitzgerald, Executive Council USDAW

• Andrew Law, Executive Council BFAWU

• Susan Mather, Vice-President of Community Union

• Ian Stevenson, National CEC Member, GMB

There are six trade union delegates from Australia:

• Michael Borowick, Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

• Eamon Bourke, Training Officer , Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees Assoc

• Noah Carroll, Secretary, Victorian Branch, Australian Labour Party

• Gerard Dwyer, National President & NSW Branch Secretary

• Darryl Noack, District Secretary, Queensland, The Australian Workers’ Union

• Ben Davis, Organiser, Victoria, The Australian Workers’ Union

Security Barrier briefing

We then had a tour of the Achva Halva factory in the Barkan industrial estate, the West Bank. An Israeli owned company that employed Palestinians as well as Israelis that paid Israeli terms and conditions. We asked questions about the boycott of settlement goods which the management believes could put at risk the factory and they could have to relocate.

The Palestinian workers spoke about their relative satisfaction with their jobs but would like to see Palestinian owned factories one day soon. By the way the Halva was very tasty.

We were then guests of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in the City of Ramallah. It was obvious that the town was less developed than any on the Israeli side but it was busy with construction works and a very bustling town centre.

A full briefing with the PGFTU took place over lunch and a lively exchange took place between trade union brothers and sisters. We look forward to working together in the coming years.

A late dinner at Susanna restaurant in the Neve Tzedek district of Tel Aviv hosted by UCAPSE, the public sector union finished off a busy day.

Set on a rugged mountain outside Jerusalem, in lovingly beautiful landscaped gardens, its shocking yet often poignant display describes the journey towards the death of six million, largely European Jews and the destruction of centuries old cultures and communities.

The awful culmination of the libel against the Jewish people that emerged in the Middle East in the decades after Christ’s death and entrenched in Catholic teaching over centuries. The Nazis only provided the savage and psychotic conclusion, whilst the creation of the State of Israel was the physical rebirth and resurrection.

Against that context, the pride of the Jerusalem Municipality Employees Committee in its fiercely non-sectarian approach (and quiet contempt for the behaviour of the politicians across the religious, political and communal divides) offered hope and a future that could still prevail, as well as a rebuke to the narrow sectarians amongst the British Left who want ceaselessly to foster division.

The Delegation with Jerusalem Municipal workers

And whilst Arab peoples across the Middle East display great courage in their resistance in recent weeks against corrupt and oppressive regimes, Israel’s high tech Bezeq telecoms giant, which seems streets ahead of BT , demonstrates why per capita income is ten times that of its neighbours and why Israel will survive as those regimes crumble.

If their leaders could have offered only a proportion of the income and employment that Israel has delivered to its Jewish and Arab inhabitants then the Middle East would be a much brighter place.

Lunch at the Allenby House also offered reminders of the ever present history of Israel being General Allenby’s GCHQ during the World War I campaign in Palestine and an excellent cuisine that would have been at home in any good restaurant from Damascus to Marrakech.

Jonathan Baume

TUFI Delegation 2011 overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem

It’s strange seeing the melting pot that is Jerusalem getting on with their very varied lives. The juxtaposition of the Arab and Jewish areas is startling but also adds to the richness of the city that also has many problems.

This was followed by a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A frank meeting that took in all major issues of security, security fence, the Palestinian leadership and the current regional turmoil.

As trade unionist we asked the questions that are brought up by our members on disproportionality in response to attacks as well as lots of concerns about the Palestinians that were well answered. However there was an air of pessimism that maybe actions totally out of Israel’s control.

Next was a short trip to the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament and a meeting with Itzhak Herzog MK. He had launched his campaign for the Labor Party Leadership the previous day so it was in a busy period. However he was clear about his opposition to boycotts and that Israel not only is a vibrant democracy but needs the UK to be supportive of Israel’s genuine desire for peace.

Finally a meeting with the Office of the Quartet Representative in the American Colony Hotel. Their work on development in the Palestinian controlled areas in the West Bank and Gaza play an important and at times frustrating role to develop the Palestinian society to be ready for self determination.

We were impressed with the improvements over the past four years that hopefully benefits Palestinians now and is gives the foundations for a future Palestinian state.

Now off for a dinner hosted by the Government Employers’ Union.

• John Hannett, General Secretary of USDAW

• Jonathan Baume, General Secretary of the FDA

• Gerry Doherty, General Secretary TSSA (attending in a personal capacity)

• Keith Jordan, President of Community Union

• Mark Raymond Freeman, Deputy General Secretary of the POA

• Tommy Hall, National CEC Member, GMB