Comrades and Fellow Workers around the world,
The International Confederation of Labor condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli Apartheid Regime for its ongoing campaign of genocide in Gaza, its continuing brutality across all of Palestine, and its military aggression against its neighbors in Yemen, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.
The ICL is glad to hear of a ceasefire, but believes that such agreements are at best meaningless half-measures while Israel continues to invade Palestinian territory, and that true peace will only be achieved when the people of Israel recognize Palestinians as fellow humans and fellow citizens in a single, secular society.
The colonialist Israeli regime has consistently ignored international law, its moral and ethical obligations to treat all people with dignity and respect, and the clear demands of the overwhelming majority of the world’s population—regardless of religion or ethnicity—to cease infringing upon the freedom and sovereignty of the Palestinian people. The ICL cannot be silent in the face of this injustice, and we join our siblings of labor in taking a stand.
As in all things, the working class of the world provides the labor necessary for the genocide in Gaza to continue. We call on all workers and labor unions to follow the example of our siblings in the shipping industry to refuse to manufacture weapons of war destined for Israel, and to refuse to transport raw materials or finished weapons purchased by the Israeli regime or Israeli organizations. We, the international working class, hold the power to organize to stop these atrocities—and we are increasingly waking up to this fact. The working class worldwide, even in Israel, is reaching its breaking point and beginning to cease participating in an economy guilty of genocide.
The ICL stands firmly with the Palestinian people in resistance and self-defense—you are acting to protect your communities, your neighbors, your families and yourselves from indignity, starvation, and oblivion. We know that it is thanks to your acts of everyday resistance, including reaching the outside world through art, culture, and documenting your lives, that the future will see a vibrant, free, and fair society welcoming to people of all ethnicities and religions stretching across all of Palestine. This is what we mean when we say that from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
We also support the Israeli citizens of principle who refuse to be conscripted into its occupying forces or make the brave decision to desert. Please know that the solidarity and gratitude of billions of working people is with you, and no threats or punishment the regime throws at you can wear that away. The refusenik movement was essential during the Second Intifada and your bravery to desert is vital pressure to end the genocide.
We thank the people of the world who will not be silenced in our outrage at the continued harm which the Israeli regime is responsible for. We stand with every protestor, every citizen, every worker engaging in civil disobedience to ensure that the regime and every government around the world acting as its accessory knows that they will answer for what they have done and what they continue to do. The collective action of millions of people across the world is ensuring that this is happening today. Popular will like this cannot be silenced. We ask the people to continue fighting to be heard until you cannot be ignored.
We stand with the people around the world who organize to aid the Palestinian people across national borders. Movements like the historic Global Sumud Flotilla and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions are bold steps by the global working class to ensure that justice is done within Palestine and within the world economy. We encourage every person, organization, and government the world over to do your part to support these efforts.
The International Confederation of Labor calls on the working class of the world to use our power to shut down the Israeli war machine. Every second is another word of history written—now is the time to decide what will be written about you. If you choose to stand for dignity and justice for all of humanity, we are happy to call you a comrade. But if your interests lie with injustice and oppression, know that the international working class will work tirelessly to free all people of the world from the harm you are doing, for one simple reason:
An injury to one is an injury to all.
Also available in:
Español (Spanish)
