International Trade Union Confederation rejects calls to boycott Israel

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has rejected calls for boycotts against Israel.  At its second world congress, held in Vancouver from 21-25 June 2010, a vehemently anti-Israel resolution submitted by the Congress of South African Trade Unions never made it to the conference floor.

Instead, the Israeli trade union federation, the Histadrut, was honoured by the global trade union movement with its leader, Ofer Eini, being elected as one of ITUC’s Vice-Presidents as well as being elevated to the Executive and General Council. 

The resolution adopted by the ITUC congress states that "congress commits the ITUC to continue to support the strengthening of cooperation between the Palestinian and Israeli trade union movements and calls upon the international community to support Palestinian economic reconstruction and development, including through the ILO Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection."

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Obama and Netanyahu urge direct Middle East peace talks

US President Barack Obama has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct peace talks before Israel’s agreed settlement freeze expires in September.

Mr Obama, speaking after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, praised Israel for announcing it would ease its Gaza Strip blockade and said he hoped direct peace talks would resume soon.  He added: “I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace.  I think he is willing to take risks for peace." 

Ahead of the Netanyahu-Obama meeting, the Palestinian president held a meeting with six Israeli journalists in his Ramallah office on 29 June. Abbas argued for a peace settlement based on 1967 borders, with minor changes and land swaps and said he would engage directly with the Israeli government if he receives Israel’s position on all borders and security issues.

Indirect talks started in May 2010 with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell shuttling between the two sides in Israel and the West Bank. 

The Histadrut welcomes Israel’s announcement to ease the blockade of Gaza

The Histadrut welcomed Israel’s announcement on 20 June that it was to ease its blockade of Gaza.  The Israeli trade union federation put pressure on the Israeli government over the “unsustainable” blockade in a statement published on 9 June.  Israel now allows items into Gaza unless they feature on a new list which specifies banned goods.  The move will let in humanitarian aid, food and building supplies.   

Israel’s Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) informed the Palestinian Authority on 29 June that 150 trucks of goods and humanitarian aid is now entering Gaza each day.  This represents a fifty percent increase in imports into the territory compared to prior to the decision to relax the blockade.

The changes to the terms of the blockade had been proposed by Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair.  In an interview with Progress on 21 June, Blair said that unless “people do stupid things and start firing rockets again” it should be possible to implement the policy and increase the capacity at the border crossings “pretty quickly”.

Israel 'to expand' powers of Gaza flotilla inquiry

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 29 June that Israel is ready to expand the powers of an investigation panel into its boarding of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. 

The panel may now be recognised as a state commission of inquiry with the power to subpoena witnesses and recommend sanctions. 

Israel set up the internal inquiry in early June after Israel’s interception of an aid ship on 31 May in international waters that left nine Turkish activists dead.  The internal probe also includes two foreign observers - Lord Trimble and a retired Canadian general, Ken Watkin. 

Hamas rejects Egypt’s latest terms for reconciling with Fatah as new poll suggests a decline in Hamas’ popularity

Hamas has refused to accept Egypt’s proposals for forming a Palestinian unity government with Fatah, undermining Cairo’s efforts to facilitate reconciliation between the two Palestinian factions. The Egyptian plan outlines the logistics of holding new parliamentary and presidential elections and calls for the return of Palestinian Authority police forces to the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’ refusal to reconcile with Fatah, and allow Palestinian Authority officials to return to Gaza, is preventing new elections from taking place.

Polls released by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research on 16 June predicted that President Mahmoud Abbas would defeat Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by 15 percentage points in a presidential election and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad would also defeat Haniyeh by four percentage points.

Israeli bill to improve parliamentary representation of women

Israeli’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved a bill for debate on Sunday 20 June which aims to increase the number of female parliamentarians (MKs).  The measure, co-sponsored by Labor MK Einat Wilf and Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely, has been endorsed by both their respective parties and would see all parties financially rewarded for ensuring that at least 35 percent of their electoral candidates are female.

Having gained ministerial approval, the bill will soon be put to a Knesset vote. Wilf expressed confidence that the bill would pass, asserting that “encouraging women to enter politics [advances] liberty in the state of Israel”. Only 22 of the 120 members of the current Knesset are female, although Kadima, the largest party, is led by a woman, MK Tzipi Livni.

Proposed change in law would count sexual assault as work accident granting social and financial benefits to victims

A private members’ bill in Israel’s parliament calls for an amendment to the law to define sexual assault in the work place as a work accident.  The bill, which was submitted to the ministerial legislative committee on the 6 June 2010, also seeks to extend the statute of limitations on sexual assault to 36 months from 12 months. 

The two parliamentarians proposing the amendments, Orit Zuaretz (Kadima) and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), stated that the objective is to protect workers and to provide a social safety net to victims, in cases where the harm caused prevents returning to a normal life as a result of the assault”.

The Histadrut foils IEC plan to fire employees

The Histadrut (Israeli TUC) has foiled a precedent-setting initiative by the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) to sack 20 employees without the consent of its workers’ committee.  The Histadrut vetoed the measure on 9 June.  IEC's labour bylaws stipulate that management must obtain the consent of the “layoff committee” to fire any employee at the company, and a list of employees to be laid off must be sent to the committee for approval.

Israeli petrol station attendants go on strike

Petrol station attendants at Sonol Israel Ltd went on strike on 23 June, shutting down 160 of the company's 200 stations nationwide. Customers could not buy petrol or goods.

Sonol’s attendants called the strike because they claim that all employees received a bonus for 2009, except for 1600 petrol station attendants.  Executives have said that the bonus was denied because of the workers’ committee. Union representatives have argued that this is an attempt to block the Histadrut from further unionising the company. 

TUFI holds busy fringe meeting at Unison's annual conference

TUFI held a busy fringe event on 16 June 2010 for Unison delegates attending the union’s annual conference in Bournemouth.  The event was titled “How to support Israeli-Palestinian trade union co-operation” and sparked a lively discussion, persuading a number of delegates to speak against the negative motion debated at the conference following the meeting. 

The speakers included: Lilach Head, a Unison member, Eric Lee, from the global organisation Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP) and Günther Jikeli, from the German public sector union, Ver.di.

Click here to read a full report of the event.

Newcastle Brown Ale imported to Israel

The classic drink, Newcastle Brown Ale, is being introduced to Israel.  Its delicate, fruity aroma and nutty caramel malt taste can now be enjoyed by regulars at bars across Israel, thanks partly to the increasing popularity of British-style pubs and ales.

The draught ale was launched in the Ramat Gan residence of Britain's ambassador to Israel, Sir Tom Phillips, and given an appropriate send off by Geordie Mark Wardle, the assistant defence attaché at the embassy.