TUFI’s monthly update looks at important trade union issues in Israel and the Palestinian territories, the Middle East Peace Process, regional developments, domestic Israeli and Palestinian affairs and primary issues affecting British trade union policy on Israel

ITUC calls for workers’ pact for peace and justice in Palestine and Israel

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called for a comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine. In a statement adopted by the General Council at the beginning of February, the ITUC called for a “workers’ pact for peace and justice” in the region. This follows a resolution on Peace, Security and the Role of the United Nations passed at the ITUC World Congress in June 2010.

The new ITUC statement aims to galvanise trade unions around the world to do more in support of securing a two-state solution. Click here to read the full statement.

Israel could still be heading for general strike over price hikes

The Histadrut (Israeli TUC) declared a labour dispute on 10 February in protest to recent increases in the price of basic goods such as water and bread. This could lead the way for a nationwide general strike. Under Israeli law, a declaration of a labour dispute must be made two weeks before a strike can be implemented.

Over the past year, the price of bread has risen by 10 percent, petrol has jumped 13 percent and water has soared by a massive 134 percent.

Talks between the Histadrut and the Israeli government to resolve the differences continue. Ofer Eini, the Chair of the Histadrut, said that they are hopeful "the main differences over the minimum wage and water prices can be resolved".

The Israeli government has already announced that it will raise the minimum wage and roll back recent increases for water rates, public transport and petrol prices to ease the burden of soaring commodity prices, but the Histadrut have said that this does not go far enough and is demanding lower prices for bread and housing.

Quartet statement calls for Israel and the Palestinians to return to direct peace negotiations

The Middle East Quartet (EU, US, Russia and the UN) issued a statement on 5 February asserting “the need for the parties to undertake urgently the efforts to expedite Israeli-Palestinian and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace”. The Quartet also expressed “regret” that Israel did not renew its settlement construction freeze, condemned rocket fire from Gaza and “strongly reaffirms that unilateral actions by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognised by the international community” – a call for a Palestinian state to be created through negotiations with Israel, rather than through unilateral declarations or via the UN Security Council.

Israeli prime minister announces new package of incentives to encourage Palestinians back to the table

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Quartet Representative Tony Blair announced a package of gestures on 4 February designed to attract the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

The incentives include: allowing the Palestinian Authority’s security forces to extend their presence in a number of West Bank towns; fast-tracking planning applications for new Palestinian schools and health clinics; and declaring that the government will actively encourage the Jerusalem municipality to improve infrastructure for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including new housing.

With regards to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Netanyahu gave approval for: all required sanitation and water treatment plants; the import of construction materials for mobile desalination plants; 20 new internationally approved, and Palestinian Authority-backed, construction projects; and the import of 40,000 tons of building materials this month. He also agreed to revive discussions on the ‘Gaza Marine’ gas field project with the Palestinian Authority (PA), which would provide them with a new source of revenue and could meet all of Gaza’s energy needs, currently supplied by Israel.

Announcing the measures, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that economic peace is not a substitute for political peace, adding that he hopes the Palestinians will “heed my call and enter direct negotiations... for the benefit of both our peoples, and for the peace in the region”.

Hamas rejects offer to join a Palestinian unity government or to allow new elections in the Gaza Strip

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offered Hamas on 20 February the opportunity to join the Palestinian Authority government alongside Fatah. The prime minister said “the split has been too long and should not continue”. The move is thought to be a means to encourage Hamas to participate in elections due to be held in September. Israel and the international community refuse to negotiate with Hamas as it does not recognise Israel’s right to exist and refuses to renounce violence or abide by existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas has rejected Fayyad’s offer.

TUFI takes part in first ever UK Task Force study trip to Israel

TUFI took part in the first ever UK Task Force study trip to Israel from the 23 – 27 January 2011. The trip involved a tour of Arab communities in the north of Israel, visiting civil society projects and taking part in panel discussions with leading interlocutors within the Arab community, the private sector and the political sphere.

The trip aimed to inspire its participants to work with each other and Israeli partners to continue to increase engagement with issues facing Arab citizens. Participants were provided with an on-the-ground learning experience that introduced them to some of the key issues affecting the Arab minority.

Dr Alice Wood, co-ordinator of the UK Taskforce, said “the idea was to bring together different ways we can work together... we held a round-table with Arab business leaders, the business delegates on the trip and Jewish philanthropists on how to develop the Arab private sector”.

Israeli court rules that employers shouldn’t rifle through workers' personal e-mail

An Israeli court ruled on 9 February that employers cannot pry into their employees' personal e-mail. The landmark decision lays down the guidelines that will govern future employees' use of company computers, e-mailing in the workplace and employers’ access to workers' e-mails.

The panel of three judges ruled that an employer has the power to supervise employees' conduct in the workplace, but that supervision of the use of computers must be exercised reasonably and proportionally. It was deemed that the employer's right to access workers' personal e-mail correspondence is only permissible under limited and extenuating circumstances, such as substantial concern that the employee has been involved in criminal activity.

Histadrut can sue any retailer that does not provide chairs

The National Labour Court in Israel has ruled that the Histadrut can proceed with legal action against 21 companies that have been violating the Israeli “right to work while seated” law even though the trade union federation does not represent the affected employees.

Employers are obliged to provide chairs for their employees after the law was passed in 2007 to protect people in the retail sector from being forced to stand throughout long shifts.

Israel’s economy grew 4.5 percent in 2010

Israel’s economy grew more than predicted in 2010, with an increase of 4.5 percent in GDP. Israel’s rate of growth was the fifth highest of the 34 countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The average rate of growth among OECD nations last year was 2.8 percent and in the UK the GDP contracted by 0.6 per cent in the last quarter of 2010.

New UK-Israel Life Sciences Council holds its inaugural meeting

The new UK-Israel Life Sciences Council, initiated by British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, was inaugurated a few weeks ago at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem. The council, which is chaired by Ambassador Gould, Professor Rivka Carmi and Professor Raymond Dwek, has a budget of £10million for the next five years and has decided to focus on regenerative medical therapies.

Israel removes two West Bank checkpoints

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has removed the Hawara and Beit Furik security checkpoints which had slowed travel between the West Bank Palestinian cities of Nablus and Ramallah. The checkpoints, removed on 10 February, were erected during the second Intifada to protect Israel from attacks emanating from Nablus, a city that was a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism.

In 2004, a 12-year-old boy wearing an explosives belt was apprehended trying to leave the city. Nablus has since become a centre of economic activity due to inward investment, the development of a professional Palestinian security force and, in coordination with Quartet Representative Tony Blair, Israel’s removal of numerous roadblocks and checkpoints.

Machsom Watch, a group of Israeli women who monitor IDF checkpoints in the West Bank on a daily basis, have welcomed the development. The Israeli government hopes that concessions such as these will attract the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

Iranian anti-government protests result in two deaths

Anti-government protests were held in Tehran on 14 February in which two people were killed and hundreds were injured. There were also reports of clashes between anti-government and pro-government protesters on 16 February at the funeral of Saane Zaleh, one of those killed two days before. US President Barack Obama said on 15 February that it is “ironic that you’ve got the Iranian regime pretending to celebrate what happened in Egypt, when in fact they have acted in direct contrast to what happened in Egypt”.

Israel’s first openly gay judge appointed to senior role

Israel’s first openly gay judge has been appointed to the Tel Aviv Labour Court, which deals with work disputes. The appointment of Dori Spivak, deputy director of Tel Aviv University’s law clinics and gay rights activist, was announced on 18 February. Dan Yakir, a lawyer for the Association for Civil Rights Israel, welcomed the appointment saying that “Dori is an expert on equality at work and health rights. He will contribute to developing human rights at the work place”.