IWW Delegation to Palestine

Rafat and the Unemployed Workers Federation

2009-12-06T01:36:00.000-08:00

12/5

Today Mohammed invited us for coffee at the home of some of his friends in Rafat village, outside Ramallah. Rafat is only 100 meters from an Israeli military base and the infamous Ofar prison. The people that we met with were all unemployed or partially employed, suffering from the depleted job market that followed the second intifada of 2002.

We met with Waheeb Hamin, his five children, Waheeb's father Ameen Hamin, and Anwar Bahin. Both Waheeb and Ameen have been unemployed for nearly a decade, Waheeb because of the second intifada and Hamin because of injury. Before the second intifada, when West Bank and Gaza residents were able to legally work inside Israel, Waheeb was working as a maintenance man inside a Jerusalem hotel. Following the second intifada, over 250,000 Palestinian workers within Israel (some with work permits, others working "illegally") were fired and banished from working inside the green line. As a result, Waheeb was forced to switch professions and became a house painter. But because of the poor job market in the West Bank, work is hard to find especially in winter.

The job market in the occupied territories is depressed by several factors: checkpoints inhibit workers from traveling freely; restrictions on imported and exported goods prevent businesses from growing; the resulting poverty and lack of fully developed infrastructure make it hard for new businesses to get off the ground; the apartheid wall, the settlements, and artificially inflated water prices make farming (which had once been the predominant industry) almost impossible to profit from—Israel has stolen 75 dunams (1 dunam = 1000 square meters) of land from the family we met with to build the apartheid wall. Additionally, the high unemployment rate in the West Bank floods the job market, causing a decrease in the average wage rate. For example, in Ramallah, single workers from Hebron, Nablus and elsewhere are willing to work for much less than a living wage. As a result it is extremely difficult for people like Waheeb Hamin to find work that can support their families.

Waheeb, Ameen, and Anwar are all members of the Unemployed Workers Federation (UWF), a branch of the Independent Federation of Democratic Unions in Palestine. The UWF is comprised of local committees in West Bank cities and villages. Its main goals are to expand unemployment benefits (such as healthcare, free education for children, and monetary compensation) via pressure on the Palestinian Authority. The UWF also promotes local projects organized by unemployed workers, and supports these projects by finding sources of funding. For example, in Rafat members of the unemployed community are planning to build a chicken farm, which they estimate will provide five or six jobs.

In the West Bank, unemployed workers are entitled to free healthcare, free education for their children, and a share of the money and food collected for them from other Arab as well as some European countries. But these measures, enacted by Yasser Arafat and reaffirmed by Abbas , are not adequate. The “free healthcare” does not cover costly procedures, merely covering clinic visits and the like. Arafat promised to create 300,000 jobs per year, but so far this has yet to happen. The Labor Ministry cites its lack of funds due to the unfulfilled promises of other Arab countries to give millions in aid to Palestine. Today more than 200,000 workers are unemployed in the West Bank. UWF has about 11,000 members, and admits that it lacks the adequate resource to accommodate many more.

Israel has started to "import" workers from Asia to fill the gaps left by Palestinians unable to cross the border. These workers live and work in conditions nearly identical to slavery One anecdote that Mohammed related to us is of a Sri Lankan woman working within Israel. She has been working as a maid for an Israeli family for the last twelve years, on a work visa she bought from the Israeli government. Unable to return to her family in Sri Lanka (to whom she sends her income), this woman is forced to work 15 hour days with no rights and no days off. He offered her the number of an Israeli lawyer who could explain her rights to her, but in order to leave her job site she needs permission from her employers. This is just one example of the harsh realities of imported labor within Israel.

The people we met with in Rafat feel that a central issue is the political domination of right-wing ideologies in the U.S., Israel, and parts of the occupied territories. They have many Jewish Israeli and American friends, and feel that their governments are working against peace and justice. Ameen summarized his position on the U.S.: “George Washington took his freedom from the British, we are waiting for a new George Washington to take his freedom from the Zionists.”

“We don't have democratic governments in the Arab World, but here we hope that we have a democratic government so we can all live together, Jews Muslims and Christians. Enough war, enough blood, enough suffering.”

Waheeb, who has relatives in Texas plans to visit the US in March, and Mohammed would like to accompany him and make a tour of the US on behalf of the Federation. We pledged to help arrange this, and set up speaking engagements while they are there.

Bel'in

2009-12-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Dec. 4th

Today we attended one of Bel'in's weekly demonstrations against the wall. Although the official delegation is over, Mohammed invited the remaining members to Bel'in.

After arriving in the village we joined a meeting of local residents and international activists who were discussing the significance of the protests. The protests have been held at least once per week since February 2005, as a means of preventing the construction of the apartheid wall around Bel'in and of opposing the illegal occupation of Palestinian land.

Following this meeting, and before the demonstration, we got a chance to speak with a few of our fellow participants. Of the demonstrators a handful were Israeli (some anarchists), about 30 were Palestinians, and about 50 were internationals like ourselves. One Israeli anarchist that we spoke with, who had recently resigned from his army service, told us that the few Israelis who oppose the occupation are stigmatized within their communities. It was inspiring to see the Israelis who attended, as well as the sheer fearlessness of local residents who refuse to be silenced. Risking injury and death, we marched.

Once the protest began, we all marched towards the occupation. Those in the front were shouting chants in Arabic over bullhorns. Several French activists were wearing tshirts with the slogan "from Berlin to Bel'in, the wall shall fall."

At the fence, the IDF soldiers were waiting for us. As the demonstrators marched closer, the soldiers began shooting tear gas cannisters and firing rubber bullets. Several Palestinian children began throwing stones at the soldiers, who fired tear gas back in response. The children dodged the canisters then went back to throw more stones.

The protest lasted about an hour. None of us could escape the burning tear gas, which came at us in a constant stream accompanied by the loud "boom" of the canister launcher. It burned our lungs, and eyes.

The protests at Bel'in must be seen to be believed, as the inhumanity of the occupiers is difficult to fathom. Fortunately no one was injured, arrested, or killed today, but there have been many injuries, arrests, and even a few deaths as the IDF have been know to fire live ammunition at the children throwing stones, and the rubber bullets can scarecely be considered "nonlethal" as they have killed and seriously injured protestors in the past.

Our last few days as a delegation

2009-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

The delegation has spent the last few days of our time together traveling around the region, hence the lack of blog posts. We said goodbye to Justin this morning, and Kate will leave tonight. Julianne, Nathaniel, and Rob will be staying in the region to travel, learn more about the situation in Palestine, and participate in demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall.

It should be noted that Sunday and Monday were spent engaged in activities that do not directly relate to the labor aspects of this delegation, but are worth recording in order to provide a full picture of our witness as a group, as well as a political context to understand the labor and economic situation in Israel/Palestine.

Sunday was spent immersed in the history and politics of Jerusalem, beginning with a stop at an ever expanding Jewish settlement in a largely Arab section of East Jerusalem. Palestinians had recently been forcefully evicted from their homes by settlers and hired guards, and are living in tents on the street while the settlers occupy their homes. This area had been granted to 1948 Palestinians by the Jordanian government in 1956, and has long been an area populated by Arabs. At the time of our visit, the residents of the homes, as well as a handful of activists, were anxiously awaiting an Israeli Supreme Court decision that would determine the owners of the land. Throughout our delegation, we've listened as Palestinians cite Jerusalem as central to any peace negotiations, and this experience certainly brought those conversations to life.

Monday we had the excellent opportunity, thanks to our guide Mitri, to ride a chartered bus to the Golan Heights, in commemoration of the release of 4 political prisoners, some of whom had been in jail for as many as 25 years. The Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied Syrian territory, whose beauty is marred by fields pocked with landmines, some of which wash down the hills to the residential areas when it rains. We shared an impressive feast with the released prisoners and a group of about 50 Palestinians, many of whom were members of the FIDA party. The bus ride, while long, was a lot of fun, with dancing, singing and clapping all the way up the mountains. On the way back, the music of Umm Kulthoum paired with the sight of the sun setting into the Sea of Galilee offered a pensive and relaxing trip, and the delegation parted ways with Mitri and the others in Tiberias. The group had one minor scare at a checkpoint; two of our delegation members were pulled off the bus and interrogated. The questioning, however, was thankfully short-lived.

The last day of the delegation was spent in Nazareth, where we met with two labor organizations: Sawt Al-Amal [Voice of Labor] and Ma'an, or the Workers Advice Center. For readers who are not familiar with the area, Nazareth is one of the largest Arab cities inside Israel, and the conditions of workers inside Israel, while equally problematic, are somewhat different than those in the occupied territories.

Sawt Al-Amal was formed as an alternative to Histradut, the Israeli union that is closely aligned with the Israeli government, in part because, post 1948, there were no organizations representing Palestinian workers inside Israel. Palestinians inside Israel face institutionalized racism and systematic economic disempowerment, and Sawt Al-Amal works to ameliorate these problems through organizing and advocacy.

The visits to unions in Nazareth lent insight into the dynamics between working class Jews and Arabs, and the situation of Palestinians inside Israel. Sawt Al-Amal as an organization tries very hard to unite Jewish and Arab workers, however, the group finds it very difficult because of the segregation inside Israel. Everything inside Israeli public life is separated between Arabs and Jews. Of all the cities in Israel, only 5 are considered to be officially "mixed". There are 2 school systems, one for Arabs and one for Jews, and the mandatory military service, of which Palestinians are exempt, offers educational and financial benefits to Israelis and not Palestinians.

In terms of labor, there are many Israeli employers that refuse to hire Palestinians, and there are some sectors of the economy where Palestinians are completely barred: the electricity company, the telecommunications industry, the airports and seaports are largely off limits to Arabs. Sawt Al-Amal considers the struggle of Palestinian workers to be the same struggle as workers all over the globe, but unique because of the conflict. They not only face problems of privatization and globalization, but suffer from institutionalized racism as well.
There are efforts to unite Jewish and Arab workers. Sawt-Al Amal works with some of the smaller Jewish unions, who are organizing immigrant workers, as well as the service industry. They frequently engage in political discussion with these organizations, stating that "If discrimination exists, all workers are hurt". Occasionally, Arabs and Jews will take to the streets together, demonstrating for rights within a specific workplace. However, as soon as the conversation turns to the root causes of economic exploitation among the Palestinians, mutually supportive work is divided along ethnic lines. Political tensions run deep, and organizing Jews and Arabs together proves difficult.
A line from the preamble of the IWW Constitution, " the working class and the employing class have nothing in common", sparked an interesting discussion about Palestinian employers. According to our hosts at Sawt Al-Amal, Palestinian employers are not necessarily more sympathetic to Palestinian workers, readily play the "nationalist" card in response to organizing, and are just as likely to break a union as Israeli employers. It is a difficult situation, in part because there is little awareness in the Palestinian community about the rights of workers and the obligations of employers. In general, there is a lack of organizing infrastructure, as Palestinian institutions were either destroyed or exiled in 1948, as well as a general suspicion of unions, as Palestinians had to join the zionist-oriented Histradut in order to obtain a work permit. Sometimes, Palestinians think of unions as the oppressor.

Ma'an unionists had some interesting things to say about foreign workers, especially in the construction sector. Many immigrants are brought to Israel, not on their own volition, but as part of economic agreements between governments. For example, in an agreement between Israel and Turkey, low-wage workers are traded for a guarantee that Israeli tanks will be repaired inside Turkey. These worker's passports are captured, and they work for wages amounting to slave labor. Ma'an has set up committees at construction sites to assist in the organizing of these workers, as well as working on an advocacy level, with, in particular, Thai workers who flood Israeli farms, apparently in violation of international labor laws. One of the more mind-boggling statistics of the afternoon is that there are 300,000 foreign workers and 300,000 unemployed Palestinians inside Israel.

Ma'an is organizing truck drivers, archaeological diggers, freelance television and education workers, and temporary laborers. They also have an extensive women's empowerment campaign, that works to draw women into the agricultural sector. Their primary mode of operations is to assist in the development of the Palestinian job market, and they were first recognized as a union that represents workers as a result of a campaign inside the West Bank. Palestinians inside the West Bank were working for an Israeli-owned quarry, and the employer was not abiding by Israeli laws or Palestinian laws. Ma'an fought for the rights of those workers, and helped improve their conditions. Aside from this campaign, however, Ma'an leaves organizing within the territories to the Palestinian unions, and focuses their efforts inside Israel. The group produced a documentary called 6 Floors to Hell that details the lives of Palestinians working illegally inside Israel.

Ma'an has an explicitly political mission, and believes that organizing the working class is necessary if you want to be a force for social change. They see the building of a union to be the beginning of an internationalist workers party, that would unite workers beyond religion and ethnicity.

It's worth noting that we spoke with both organizations about the Israeli boycott effort that is supported by unions in the West Bank and around the world, and while neither had signed on to the international BDS call , they had very different responses. Sawt Al-Amal did not sign on because the boycott is fairly specific to the occupied territories, and their focus is on the situation for workers inside Israel. As an organization with limited capacity, focus is key. The group endorses the boycott informally, and will support any of their allies with information and statistics in their boycott efforts. Ma'an, however, takes the position that outside countries should prioritize taking action against the wrongdoings of their own governments [using the example of the US occupation of Iraq], and that boycotting Israel is not in line with the Palestinian Authority. Ma'an believes that boycotting the settlement goods is ok, but boycotting everything else is challenging.

And now, the delegation is signing off. We've had a really wonderful trip, have met some truly wonderful people, have been inspired, enlightened and energized by all that we have seen and heard. There may be more posts from individual delegation members in the next several days, but the official delegation is over. Time to get to work in the US!

The Desert!

2009-11-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today was a day to relax and do a bit of tourism, and the delegation scaled a desert mountain in Jericho, one of the worlds oldest continuously inhabited cities. Jericho is rich in agricultural wealth, with dates, bananas, oranges, and eggplants lining the arid valleys with green. At the top of the mountain, we toured a working monastery, housing the stone where Jesus was said to have been tempted by the devil, and the cave where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. It was peaceful and serene, and offered a much needed opportunity to reflect on an extremely powerful week in Palestine.

And, of course, no trip to the Holy Land would be complete without a dip in the Dead Sea. Israel has confiscated all the land beside the sea, restricting opportunities for Palestinians to
generate tourism revenues from the many visitors to this unique natural wonder. We did have a nice time, giggling at the internationals painting their bodies with the healing mud, and floating effortlessly in the extremely salty water.

The delegation has not even had time to upload any pictures! The internet connection is too slow to get too many up, but we managed to get one. This is the office of our host union, the Independent Federation of Unions of Palestine.

Bethlehem and Hebron

2009-11-27T10:59:00.001-08:00

11/27

Today the delegation traveled both to Bethlehem and Hebron. In Bethlehem we toured some of the holy Christian sites and had a chance to invest in the local economy, via souvenirs manufactured in the area.

When leaving the city we stopped in a refugee camp that resides right next to the apartheid wall. The wall is decorated with spray-painted art, celebrating the people's resistance to occupation. Many children in the camp were playing with toy rifles, a sad reminder of the day-to-day realities of their lives. Our host Mitri pointed out a blue gate, that if opened would offer a quick route to Jerusalem. Being closed, travel to Jerusalem is extended by half an hour.

On our way to Hebron, we were stopped at a checkpoint. We were let through after an Israeli soldier checked our passports. All along the way we saw settlements as well as dug-up olive trees. We observed that the roads are in very poor condition around Palestinian villages and cities, but are very nice near the settlements.

In Hebron, we toured the old city. Immediately we were confronted with the utter inhumanity of settlers living beside the city, who day by day encroach further into Hebron. Many houses in the city have been overtaken by Israel, and thus the settlers live right next to (and sometimes right above) Palestinian homes. This proximity has proven to be a tremendous bane on the lives of Palestinians living in Hebron. Day-to-day humiliations include trash and boulders that are hurled at Palestinians walking through Hebron's streets. At every turn we saw Israeli soldiers stationed on rooftops, with their guns pointed towards the street.

We were invited to have tea in the home of a local teenager, who described the brutal murders of his brothers by the Molotov cocktails of Israeli settlers who jumped to their rooftop in the middle of the night. We were shown the room where one of the brothers had been burned alive while he was sleeping, less than one year ago. An additional tragedy inflicted upon the family occurred two days ago, when the boys' mother was attacked, causing her unborn baby to die inside her. The Israeli government has offered this family 1 million shekels (about $300,000) to leave their ancestral home, but the family refuses to be intimidated or bought.

After this visit, we went through the Israeli checkpoints surrounding the central Mosque of Hebron. These checkpoints were set up in response to an Israeli settler who stormed the Mosque and shot at Palestinian worshippers. These checkpoints seemed to be intimidating residents rather than deterring settlers' terrorism, because of the way soldiers were yelling at a young Palestinian man. Additionally, while there are many soldiers around the city, a young Palestinian was killed last night at the hands of an Israeli settler.

Beurocrats and Olive Oil Soap

2009-11-27T10:32:00.001-08:00

Nov. 26

Today we traveled to Nablus and then to Jenin. During our travel we passed through 7 checkpoints and saw on the hilltops where the Romans had built their symbols of conquest, settlement after settlement. From the hilltops, the settlers descend to confiscate farm land, first by burning and uprooting Palestinian crops. It is important to understand that Palestinians are not allowed to farm or build near the settlements. At the entrance to one of the settlements was emblazoned a Star of David, a figure now used in the context of oppression. The village which once had an Arabic name now has a Hebrew one.

On our way to Nablus, our guide Mitri told us that if you do not stop at a checkpoint after being asked, Israeli soldiers will shoot at you.
In Nablus we met with the Palestinian Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU). The PGFTU is allied with the AFL-CIO, and is closely linked to the Palestinian political party Fatah (a similar relationship to the AFL-CIO's with the Democratic party). Entering the building we noticed photographs from the 2008 May Day celebration, the worldwide day for decent work. We met with one of the key organizers of the PGFTU, who told us about people fighting to control their electricity, the difficulties of uniting various Palestinian unions.

While we were in the PGFTU, we exchanged pleasantries with a delegation of socialist unionists from Belgium who are working on a petrochemical project, training workers in computer skills and project management.
Next we met with another high-ranking member of the PGFTU, the general secretary Sa'ad Shaher. He welcomed us to the “house of the worker.” The PGFTU then gave each of us kaffiyeh's made of satin, emblazoned with the PGFTU logo. Shaher mentioned “we can see apartheid everywhere, even regarding the source of water, right before your eyes, occupation is everywhere.” Shaher reiterated points previously discussed in other meetings about the crippling unemployment in Palestine, caused in large part by the occupation.

We asked the PGFTU about its supposed lackluster of the campaign to boycott Israeli products. This week, articles have been published about PGFTU's lack of full support for the boycott, and about its ties to the main Israeli union, Histadroot. Shaher stated that the PGFTU fully endorses the boycott.

In closing, the PGFTU mentioned that in January 2010, the PGFTU will be going on a speaking tour of the United States. We offered to host them in Philadelphia. Their topics will be education and training of unionists, health and safety concerns, and the issue of occupation as it affects workers.

Once we left Nablus, we headed to the refugee camp Jenin to meet with the Union of Women Workers. The Union of Women Workers offers a cooperative for local artisans (who make olive oil soap, bags, pottery, wall art, and other goods), and works to offer parents affordable daycare. The union seeks to alleviate poverty for women, which is difficult given the economic conditions. One representative told us that Palestinian women suffer politically, economically, and socially. The Union of Women Workers focuses on handiwork as a means of employing women, though there is hardly a market. They hope to sell their handiwork internationally, especially their olive oil soap (which we bought and have used to great effect). The Union is looking to raise a few thousand dollars to buy a machine for making olive oil soap, which would greatly improve their productivity.

After the meeting we drove through a part of town that Israel had demolished in 2002. The streets had been rebuilt to be wide enough to fit a tank.

That night, a few of the delegation members celebrated Eid in the home of a friend who lives in Ramallah.

FIDA, IYU, and GWU

2009-11-27T10:12:00.001-08:00

11/25
This morning the delegation met with the PLO executive committee member, Saleh Ra'fat, at the offices of his party, the Palestine Democratic Union (FIDA). Mr. Ra'fat reiterated many of the points outlined at previous meetings, especially pertaining to the impact of the occupation. Ra'fat elaborated on the points of Gaza and East Jerusalem, stressing the importance of East Jerusalem in any comprehensive peace. Another UN Resolution has been proposed, endorsed by the Palestine Democratic Union, reaffirming previous resolutions pertaining to the Palestinians' right of return, and their right to live in freedom. This resolution will also include a demand for the end of settlement building.

Looking to the future, Mr. Ra'fat plans to discus the new UN resolution to all the international committees of the UN and to FIDA's contacts in the US, so as to encourage the resolution's impact.

After the meeting, we met with the Independent Youth Union (IYU) which organizes young people between the ages of 12 and 35. Three members of this student and youth group discussed their programs with us and we had an opportunity to engage in a rich discussion on the similarities and struggles of youth all over the world.

The IYU membership is comprised of FIDA party members as well as those that are politically independent. The IYU, with 5,000 members at 7 universities, is comprise of a general Secretary, branches, and branch secretaries. Each branch has its own activities that are specific to their situations. The organization has three levels: freedom seats for students between 12 and 15 years old, a student office for university students, and IYU General for graduates and those who are not attending university. The IYU develops civic and political programs with the intent to improve conditions for Palestinian youth.
According to the IYU, the youth in Palestine face unique problems under the Israeli occupation. The checkpoints, numbering in the hundreds, make traveling even short distances difficult. Because of this, according to IYU, many university students are forced to relocate to their college town, frustrating the tight-knit family structure and putting additional financial strain on families. This strain is added to the barely-affordable tuition costs, which rise every year at the demand of greedy administrators. Education is of tremendous importance to Palestinians, with 92% of the population pursing some form of higher education, and the youth see education as a tool of struggle against the occupation.

Unemployment in Palestine is rampant, and students find it nearly impossible to find work. Average salaries are low, especially compared to the cost of living, and most must take a loan from the bank in order to live. The dire economic situation is in part caused by the occupation, which brings with it restrictions on commerce and a whole host of other issues.

One initiative that the IYU is pioneering is a census to determine the nature of the Palestinian job market, the levels of unemployment, and the interests of Palestinian graduates. IYU seeks to bring together companies, investors, and youth in order to find a solution to the problems of unemployment in Palestine. Because recent graduates find it tremendously difficult to find jobs, many leave Palestine. This initiative will hopefully be able to direct students to a field of study with a robust job market, and thus alleviate the problem of unemployed youth.

Other initiatives include programs for university students, such as supplying textbooks and putting pressure on universities to offer financial aid. Already 12 scholarships have been granted for study abroad in Cuba and Italy, with potential for Algeria in the future.

IYU supports student direct action. Examples in the past have included strikes against increased tuition costs. Teachers at Palestinian universities, whose salaries are meager, have also gone on strike and have stood in solidarity with the students. The IYU is trying to unite students beyond political divisions in order to become a more powerful voice against university bureaucracies.

The IYU conducts workshops focusing on democracy, socialism, secularism, and combatting the cultural and psychological inheritances of the occupation. These are the main values they work on, and while there are objections to this approach, the students find that it resonates with their situation. Cultural values include: how to help the elderly, how to struggle against occupation, how to stand up for your rights as a worker, and how to embody forgiveness.
Leadership development is integral to the movement. The IYU has institutionalized a self-sustaining process that develops leadership skills and prepares new youth to replace those that age out of the organization.

The IYU has membership in both the West Bank and Gaza. Members in the West Bank have only fax, telephone, and email to communicate with their comrades in Gaza. Members in the West Bank participate in campaigns of solidarity with Gaza, such as demonstrating against Israeli aggression and sending material aid. The IYU fully supports the boycott of Israeli goods, and adopts a similar economic perspective to the Federation that a boycott would divert money from Israel to the local Palestinian economy.

The IYU holds a national conference every January, during which their leaders are elected. Their motto is “change ourselves before we change society.” As such, the IYU strives to have equitable representation among their leadership.

The IYU seeks to build bridges with similar organizations abroad. One next step for the IWW is to connect the IYU with student groups, particularly those who are working towards divestment from Israel. More workers are fighting for permission to go into Israel. Workers in Israel are suffering,
After the IYU we held a meeting with the General Workers Union (GWU) of Palestine which organizes construction, public service, health, textile, print media, education, and agricultural workers. The GWU has ten branches, and in the Gaza Strip alone the GWU organizes 14 unions. The GWU also has branches in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Kuwait and Oman (and all are made up of Palestinian refugees). One of the GWU's main focuses is East Jerusalem, where they are struggling to defend human and workers' rights.
The GWU works to educate and rehabilitate workers, in part by lobbying the labor ministry for vocational training services.. In Palestine there are no unemployment benefits, and because the unemployment rate is so high (40% in the West Bank and 75% in Gaza) many families are suffering. The government also does not provide health coverage, and issue the GWU is striving to remedy. This year, more than 300,000 Palestinians received health insurance from a program pioneered by the GWU. Another labor law that BDS wishes to see enacted is a program to create jobs for handicapped workers.Because of the war in Gaza, many people became handicapped.

The main goals of the GWU are to organize workers into unions, and to educate unionists about the labor law and other laws. The GWU is now focusing on health care and negotiations with the Palestinian Authority about laws protecting workers. GWU is also looking forward to developing relationships with friends in Arab countries and to develop projects together with allies in America and other countries.
According to GWU, because Palestine is not an independent state, Palestinians have little power. Members of the boycott, divestment, sanctions movement see it as a civil struggle against Israeli occupation. Peace organizations inside Israel must struggle with us. The GWU has relationships with peace activists in Israel, and believes that grassroots pressure must be applied to Israel. The GWU is calling on friends and unions from all over the world to support their struggle.

According to GWU, though it is difficult for Palestinians to work in Israel (because it is forbidden) many do out of necessity, because there are not enough jobs to be found in Palestine. According to GWU, Palestinians who travel to Israel to work must pay special taxes, but do not benefit from any of the government programs that Israelis do. For BDS, the success of such a measure depends on Palestinian workers groups working inside Israel. Have lawyers to help with cases, but their power is limited. 5 workers have been killed and 30 wounded because they crossed the border illegally into Israel, because the driver was being chased by police and got into an accident.

When we were leaving, a member of the GWU invited us “to meet again when we celebrate the independence of the Palestinian state.”

Pharmaceuticals, Farmers, and Refugees

2009-11-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Day 4
11/24

Today began with a delicious Palestinian breakfast in downtown Ramallah. Over ful and hummus, our guide Muhammad Aruri explained that even though Coca Cola supports Israel, the Coke sold in Palestine is produced in a unionized Ramallah factory that employs over 300 workers. Within Palestine, the boycott of Israeli products, while widely supported, poses challenges that those elsewhere do not face. For example, most of the flour, sugar, and tea is produced within Israel. And when it comes to fruits and vegetables, it can be impossible to know their origin.

Satisfied from breakfast, we then took a taxi to the Birzeit pharmaceutical factory in Ramallah, whose union is a member of the Independent Federation of Unions in Palestine. The operations manager gave us a tour of the facility, which was impeccably clean and high tech. Most of the sorting, mixing, and packaging machines used to produce medicines had been only recently installed. The union in which the workers are organized is an industrial union, spanning the five pharmaceutical factories in the West Bank. The medicines produced at Birzeit, which are all of the generic variety, are sold both in Palestine and across the Middle East. Demand for Birzeit's products has recently escalated, due to the newly-open (to Palestine) markets of Kuwait, Algeria, Khazakstan, UAE, Belarus, and Western Europe. The medicines produced here are monitored by the Palestinian Authority, and Birzeit complies with all work safety protocol (including yearly health checks).

The tour of Birzeit, which spanned one and a half hours, gave us a look inside a unionized factory in Palestine. Israel controls the influx of raw materials to Palestine, and also floods their markets while denying imports of Palestinian goods. These policies make it harder for Palestinian companies to compete, but as we witnessed at Birzeit, it is possible for them to do well. Israel imposes “free markets” while denying people their freedom.

With regards to Birzeit's union, it was mentioned by one of the lead organizers that the company's management (though it would deny this) acts to repress union power by relocating workers when they attempt to organize.

Following the tour, our delegation then drove to the offices of the Independent Federation of Unions in Palestine for a meeting with the independent Farmers Union. The union leadership is comprised entirely of volunteers, who are themselves farmers. Founded in May 2009, the Farmers Union organizes small farmers in Palestine with the intent of improving their competitive edge against subsidized Israeli agribusiness. The farmers face many challenges that farms in Israel do not, such as more expensive water, attacks from settlers, land truncated by the apartheid wall, and their lack of government subsidies. Nevertheless, farmers in Palestine are able to make a living, pooling together their crops and selling them via local distributor. Because of wide support for the boycott of Israeli goods, many in Palestine prefer to buy Palestinian produce. Though as mentioned earlier, it is sometimes hard to distinguish a fruit's origin.

The Farmers Union strives towards sustainable agriculture, and towards a community support structure among farmers in the West Bank. If one farmer's land is stolen, farmers in the area will give them a share of their own crops. The realities of the “land grab” was one of the most pressing reasons for the formation of the union.

The cost of meat in Ramallah is $6.4/lb, which is one of the highest prices in the world, especially due to the average standard of living. Meat is so expensive in part because of the price of water, which is inflated by the Israeli government. Israel steals water from underground aquifers, and diverts the Jordan River, while denying Palestinians any access to them, and then sells the water back at a premium.

International organizations fund local NGOs but not the people who are directly affected by the issues, such as the Palestinian farmers, making this union vital to the industry. Being only 6 months old, this union is eager for support from other farm worker unions. If you know of any information that could be helpful to them, please contact iwwinpalestine@gmail.

Principles of the Farmers Union: To unify and coordinate in defense of farmers rights, to develop a political consciousness among Palestinians within the farming industry and without, to insist on better economic conditions, to support the productivity of the farmers in part by providing them with a market, to promote solidarity among farmers, to develop technical and managerial concepts including cooperatives (instead of individualized farms), to defend the rights of farmers to their water.

In the evening, after a delicious lunch of falafel and other hot sandwiches, the delegation made its way to the Aljalazon refugee camp, 15 minutes north of Ramallah. The camp was established by Palestinians who had been kicked out of their homes by the 1948 war. In existence for 61 years, the camp now resembles a slum.

We met with Amad Hafici, who had been kicked out of his home in the 1948 war, having only left home with the clothes on his back thinking he would be coming home again. After '48, 95 men from Amad's village went back to reclaim their belongings. 92 were arrested and 3 were killed. Amad watched his own home be demolished, on the land on which the Ben Gurion airport now resides.

Amad was eventually forced into a refugee camp, where the Red Cross gave him and other refugees tents that they were to build for their homes. After the tents, the UN gave the refugees permission to build two-room homes. As families expanded, residents built up their homes, only to see them destroyed years later.

He went on to work for UNRWA (United Nations Relief Works Agency) in the refugee camp of Aljalazon (where we met him). Amad acted as a community leader for many years, and saw the camp undergo several transformations. From 1970-1990, Amad was arrested 6 times for his work, though he continued. In 1990, Israel threatened him with home demolition. To this Amad responded “but I will build it again.” Israel then destroyed his home.

One day, soldiers saw children writing on a wall of Amad's home. The soldiers entered the house and ssaw a picture of Arafat, and throw it on the floor, shattering the glass. The soldiers also took Amad's identification card. This represents some of the daily humiliations refugees face. One unfortunate fact is that the camp is only moments away from one of the largest Israeli military bases, making the camp an close target.

“We will return home! The time is coming and our rights will be clear, we still have the key,” he told us, and he did, taking the old set of hand-forged keys out of a bag and passing them around.

Later that evening some of us visited with a friends for ours from Ramallah, who lived for a time in Philadelphia. It was nice to see them

Meetings, a Strike, and Sightseeing

2009-11-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

This morning we met with representatives of the left labor coalition of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)--the PGFTU is the largest trade union in Palestine, similar to the AFL-CIO in the US, and they have also signed onto the boycott. The coalition appreciated our visit and asked for our support, particularly relating to the boycott. The PGFTU is the second oldest trade-union movement in the Arab world, established in 1924. With the founding of Israel in 1948 the trade-union movement disappeared in Palestine, and by 1967 the union involvement that had been revived in the interim dissolved under occupation. After 1967, there was clandestine organization of three workers federations that united to reform the PGFTU after the Oslo accord in 1994.
Since 1967, the Israeli government tried to eliminate the Palestinian economy and turn it into a market solely for Israeli goods. Between 1948 and 1967, Israel succeeded in evicting 50% of the Palestinian people from their homes, creating hundreds of thousands of refugees in their own land. The Oslo accord in 1994 worsened the economic climate in Palestine, forced Palestinians to leave their land and sell their labor cheaply elsewhere—thus establishing further obstacles to Palestinian autonomy.

Nathaniel asked how the occupation affects worker organizing in Palestine. The Israeli government passed a law forbidding union organizing in the Palestinian territories. Under the occupation, in the 70s and 80s, in union organizers in Palestine began putting pressure on the labor movement to organize workers. They managed to organize a new first strike in a hotel, then a few years later in another hotel and restaurants. In 1987 they began targeting villages. From 1982 to 1985 most union leaders had been arrested, and union documents were destroyed by IDF raids. Nonetheless, Palestinian union activists continued to organize while in prison. To this the Israeli government responded with military resolution 825, stating that trade union organizers must not have “criminal records,” but the union organizers did not obey.

A representative commented that “all is connected; the seizure of land, attacks on workers and farmers who made any signs of protest, the harassment of women, and the denial of Palestinian authority. This meant that Palestinians could not stop the oppression through legal means.”

The most extreme example of the weakened state of the Palestinian economy can be seen in Gaza, where virtually no market exists for Palestinian products. In an area famous for its cut flowers, half of the flower crop has to be burned because of the blockade, denying imports into and exports out of Gaza other than those goods sent from the Israeli government.
A representative raised the issue of the boycott, and stressed that it is against the occupation which denies Palestinians social services, yet forces them to pay even more taxes than Israelis who benefit from government programs.

As an aside, it was noted the Israeli baby formula company that is permitted by Israel to sell in Palestine has two lines of formula, one for Israel and one for Palestine, leading to the suspicion that there is something inferior about the version for Palestine.

Last week there 300 Palestinian houses were demolished. On the Mount of Olives where Israel has established settlements, the settlements' territorial plan form the Star of David.

Another interested anecdote—in order to create the perception that Jews have been in East Jerusalem for 100 years, Israel recently transplanted palm trees from Iraq to the street in front of the Damascus Gate (we noticed these palms during our stay and they seemed out of place because Jerusalem is does not offer the conditions for growing them).
The people we interviewed stressed that “Jerusalem is the key regarding war and peace.” One emphasized “we are not terrorists, we are people. If we are denied our dignity we will never have peace.” Another PGFTU member urged us to raise our voices to Obama that there are 700 checkpoints, and that more than 300 women have had to give birth at checkpoints on their way to the hospital, and that tens of women have died. “We accept hell, but hell doesn't accept us.”

Following the meeting we made our way to the ministry of education where a strike was being held by national university employees who demanded better retirement benefits. After the Minister of Labor spoke, Kate Zaidan made a statement of solidarity to the crowd, and was later interviewed by various international news agencies. Hundered of workers and supporters were present, and the event was patrolled by a contingent of Palestinian security officers with AK-47s.
Next we took a taxi to the Democracy and Workers' Rights Center (DWRC), which was established by lawyers, professors and trade unionists in 1993. We met with members of the DWRC's legal aid and human rights' center. This NGO is committed to educating workers about their rights, establishing the freedom of association and the right to organize, ensuring occupational health and safety, training and education (such as the development of job skills and political consciousness), researching and studying the benefit and salary disparities between male and female workers, the publishing of statistics regarding workers' conditions, and eliminating poverty and unemployment through the creation of skilled job opportunities for men and women equally.

The DWRC representatives in informal discussion raised the problems of organizing the informal sector of the economy (which includes a large number of women), which offers no social security, insurance, services, or pensions. It was noted that women represent 16% of the total work force in Palestine, but the majority of the remaining 84% work in small family businesses, agriculture, and other services for which they are unpaid. And thus their work is unvalorized. 40% of women are below the poverty line and none have access to certain jobs such as construction and transportation.

One of the DWRC members then spoke about the situation of workers in Gaza, whom she has never met in the nine years they have been working together. She explained that there is virtually no private sector in Gaza, destroyed first by the blockade and then by the 2008-2009 military assault, during which the Israeli military deliberately demolished factories and building equipment. One of the few jobs that remains in Gaza is the dangerous job of working in the tunnels to Egypt, the only access to outside goods. Many workers have been killed in the tunnels by Israeli bombs. What can be done to get food to the people of Gaza? She suggested opening doors to small businesses, raising awareness of the crisis, and struggling for unemployment benefits. However, unfortunately the Palestinian populations in Gaza and the West Bank are growing further and further apart due to Gaza's isolation.

It was stressed that the boycott of Israeli goods, which has called for by Palestinian workers cannot hurt workers (Israeli and Palestinian alike) any more than the military occupation does. The costs of maintaining a militarized society include restricted access to regional markets, and Israel's use of cheap imported labor from Southeast Asia not only harms the Palestinian workers who are being excluded from such jobs, but drastically hurts the migrant workers who are treated despicably (who have no rights, whose papers are held with the threat of deportation, and who are thrown out of the country when no one wants to employ them).

Nathaniel asked if the Palestinian ruling class compromises the rights of Palestinian workers for the sake of personal gain. In response it was noted that Palestine is a colonized economy, and though workers' rights are often compromised when deals are made with Israel, one must look at it in the context of colonization and capitalistic greed. Occupation must be ended, benefitting both Palestine and Israel, opening it up to markets in Arab countries.

Following the meeting with the DWRC, we travelled 30km to Arura, our host Muhammad Aruri's hometown (at an elevation of 950m). On our way we passed a fenced-in settlement (lit 24 hours by US tax dollars), and a checkpoint that has been temporarily abandoned to benefit Abbas's political image. First, Muhammad took us to the highest point in the West Bank, from which we could see Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Nablus, and Ramallah. From here we saw the biggest settlement in the area which houses a branch of Haifa Univeristy, as well as a grazing heard of goats.

We were hosted for dinner at his brother's home beautifully landscaped with Guava, Pomegranate, Olive, Clementine, and Jacaranda trees. While the sun set, we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Muhammad's sister-in-law and nieces.

After dinner, Muhammad took us to visit a local school where we met with the Arura charitable society, and organization that offers various services to residents of Arura and surrounding villages. Next we visited a recently built medical clinic (that Muhammad helped fund) which offers nearly-free emergency services to those that do not have the time to make it to the nearest hospital, 40 minutes away.

Exhausted we returned to Ramallah to rest up for another day.

our 1st day in Ramallah

2009-11-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

Today we took the bus in to Ramallah, passing the Qalandia checkpoint with no problem, though we did see one or two cars full of people being inspected by the IDF. We also got our first glimpse of the infamous Apartheid Wall. Rob said it best: It's kind of like a checkpoint on I-95, except staffed by children with M16s. They are not exactly children, but the IDF soldiers all look very, very young.

We were welcomed into the Federation of Independent Unions of Palestine office by Mohammed Aruri and his colleague Ghareeb formerly a worker at a pharmaceutical factory, now a volunteer of the union. At this small meeting, delegation members learned a bit about the Federation of Independent Palestinian Unions, which, as it turns out, is incredibly similar in mission and structure to the IWW.

The Federation organizes within a wide spectrum of unions, from finance to agricultural to medical manufacturing to university employees to certain parts of the public sector, like village councils. Unemployment is rampant, with up to 50% (and much higher in Gaza) of workers unemployed, and the Federation organizes and provides services to workers without jobs. The Federation provides services to 2000 unemployed workers in the form food, medicine, money and free insurance. Most of the money donated to the by the Palestinian Authority goes to paying government employees and to security measures demanded by the Israeli government, and there is little left for unemployment compensation, so it is left to unions to fill the gap. Notably, 50% of Palestinians also live below the poverty line. Mohammed states that the occupation is the main cause for their suffering.

The Federation organizes all over the West Bank, and does some work within Gaza. They do not have members in Jerusalem, where workers tend to organize by local shops and not into federations. Aruri suspects that this has something to do with the difficulty in getting across checkpoints, but there may be other political reasons as well. The Federation is the Palestinian version of “One Big Union”, as they work tirelessly to build solidarity in the the West Bank, Gaza and Israel, and all over the world. If there were a theme to our discussions today it would be “unity in struggle”.

Coming into Ramallah, we noticed an abundance of new and half-built construction, and we asked Aruri why it was that Ramallah was being built up so quickly. He said it was because 50% of Palestinians are outside of the country, with many in the US from New York to San Francisco, from Alaska to Florida. Presumably, this new construction was an outgrowth of the real estate boom evident in the US, and the Palestinian economy has been hit equally hard.

The union was started in reaction to the larger, business unions representing most Palestinian workers, with a structure that reflects a commitment to democratic unionism. The executive committee is comprised of workers who are elected by the members directly. The local leaders must be workers in the industries they represented.

The conversation turned to the Boycott Israel movement of which the Federation plays an active role. The boycott movement, called by Palestinian workers and civil society groups, seeks to put non-violent pressure on the Israeli government to abide by standards of human rights and international law. Mohammed said that most Palestinians are in favor of the boycott, as it will increase job opportunities, as it will increase opportunities in Palestinian factories, as it will decrease reliance on Israeli goods. Aruri asked that more pressure be placed on Obama, and noted this era as one of much opportunity, given Obama's promises made in the Cairo speech. The delegation spoke of our efforts to publicize this meeting and build support for the boycott movement in the US labor movement.

The United States gives 3 billion in aid to the Israeli government largely to the military. Aruri said that this money could be given to workers in the United States to help resolve the economic crisis workers are facing. Aruri said our job is to advocate for US workers as much as it is for others internationally.

Aruri came to the US in 2004 and met with many rank and file union members, as well as peace groups etc. He also met with leaders of the AFL-CIO (in their swanky DC office that Aruri said was nicer than the State Department, where he also visited) who basically accused him of being left-wing and wrote him off. Aruri said the AFL “looks with one eye instead of two”. It should noted that the AFL, as well as the Democratic Party signed agreements with Histradut, the main Israeli union closely aligned with the Israeli state. One interesting anecdote that illustrates the nature of Histradut: the former president of the union went on to serve as the defense minister for the Israeli government and led the country into the war in Lebanon.

It has become clear throughout our discussions that the occupation Palestinian directly impairs worker organizing in Palestinian. It has caused factories to close and has stopped producers from shipping goods to Arab countries. Aruri noted that the union's position on the wall is not against the Jewish people, and not even against the wall entirely: he states that the wall could be built on the 67 border, and not annex Palestinian land. He said that Palestinian don't need aid, that they have the resources to develop themselves. They could have a thriving tourism industry and grow plenty of fruits and vegetables. What they need is freedom.

A direct legacy of colonial Britain are the laws of administrative detention. Anyone can be arrested because they “might” do something that threatens the security of the colonial regime. Israel has inherited these laws and now, being a member of a union is cause enough for arrest and torture and has been used frequently on union activists, as Mohammed has been arrested 6 times and tortured in prison. These arrests usually occur at night and in front of everyone, but because they are fighting for freedom, they learn to not be afraid. Mohammed talked about being released from prison and heading straight back to the office to organize more workers.

On the political situation in Palestinian, Aruri discussed the Hamas election as a vote against the corruption within the PA. This was not a vote for an Islamic republic, as many Christians voted for the party. Most labor unions support the PLO strategy, with few supporting Hamas. Most people in the Federation are independent and not associated with a political party, and the Federation is not associated with any political party (like the IWW), whereas the PGFTU has close ties to the Fatah party.

After our first meeting, we explored Ramallah, wandering into the teeming and lively fruit market and sampling the famous Rakab ice cream.

We returned to the Federation office, where we met with 9 representatives from member unions, where we presented them with $1000 that the delegation fundraised with the help of supporters, as well as IWW t shirts, calendars and buttons, all of which were warmly received.

We discussed with them their current campaigns, such as a campaign for improved pensions, as the state does not provide any social security, and the private sector is not required to match employee contributions.

They talked about the three greatest enemy's of Palestine “occupation, corruption, and poverty”, which have been worsened by globalization. This led to a discussion about the IWWs international solidarity work in Haiti and Mexico. We spoke about our unions' history and philosophy and found that our vision and mission are extremely similar to each other. One of the representatives joked “why don't we open an IWW office in Palestine, to which we replied, it sounds like there already is one”.

Women's status in the Palestinian labor movement is strikingly parallel to that in the US, where women make 75% to what men make, and struggle to get promoted. The Federation, like the IWW historically, has stood in solidarity with women, and fought for for women's rights and human rights. The work of women has traditionally been unpaid or underpaid, much like the rest of the world. But, women are strongly represented within the federations executive committee.

The union mentioned 3 specific things solidarity workers could do: they need help fundraising for a staff position to address women's issues, help organize a visit of members of the Federation to the United States, and connect members to other organizations, unions, women's organizations, and others.

We returned to our hotel for a brief rest, and were then treated to a delicious supper at the home of Ghareeb, one of the members of the Federation. There, over arab-style macaroni and cheese, we talked politics, movies, and played with the kids. A pretty great end to the day.

Arrival in Jerusalem!

2009-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

The IWW Delegation to Palestine has arrived in Jerusalem! Getting in was no trouble, and we've had a chance to explore a bit of the old city.

Tomorrow, the work begins, and the Delegation will travel to Ramallah to meet with the Independent Federation of Palestinian Workers.

Stay tuned for more updates! We will try to update daily, provided we have regular internet access.

2009-09-30T07:34:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the IWW in Palestine blog. You will be able to follow our trip and see our photos! Stay tuned for more updates.