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The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) appeals for restraint and a cease fire on all sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the latest outbreak of violence and hostilities.  The Federation mourns the tragic loss of lives and injuries, especially amongst innocent civilians, women and children on both sides of this intractable conflict.  The attacks on all sides must end.  Civilian hostages and prisoners, in particular women, children and the elderly must be returned to their families unharmed. 

Whilst calling for an immediate ceasefire on all sides, COSATU unequivocally reaffirms its principled support for the struggles of the people of Palestine to end apartheid and colonial occupation and for statehood.

The temptation on both sides of this 75 years plus old conflict, is to respond to each round of violence with further violence, to retaliate to attacks by the other side with even greater bloodshed.  The only results of this ongoing cycle of violence and unending occupation is to deepen the levels of hatred and bloodshed.  It is clear to all sober persons, that violence will not resolve this conflict that has scarred generations on both sides. 

It is time for all parties to return to the negotiating table and to engage in good faith and find a lasting settlement that will accommodate all parties’ desires to live in peace, security and comfort.  The 1993 peace agreement offered a two-state solution where an independent Israel and Palestine could live side by side.  Tragically self-serving political leaders failed to seize this opportunity and instead sought to destroy any chance of a peaceful solution.  Shameless opportunists have sought to exploit this failure of leadership to change the facts on the ground and collapse any possibility of a viable Palestinian state.  Generations of Palestinian children have been compelled to a life of poverty, violence and occupation.  Generations of Israeli children have grown up in fear of violence.

Innocent people are and have been slaughtered for many years because of the unashamedly right-wing extremist racist administrations of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and their expansionist policies and brutal occupation of Palestinian territories.  We should not be surprised when people who have been subjected to most the brutal forms of occupation and humiliation erupt into violence.  The international community, in particular the West, have fuelled this conflict through their tacit condonations of the occupation.  The Palestinians’ desire for statehood remains a just struggle.

Ordinary Palestinians and Israelis want to live in peace, to raise their children and enjoy life like any other people.  They deserve that chance.  It is time that the leadership of all parties implement a cease fire, return to the negotiating table, engage in good faith and make the painful compromises necessary to address all parties’ genuine concerns.  It is critical that external parties support and not undermine a genuine and peaceful resolution of this often-intractable conflict.  The international community must cease fuelling this conflict with endless supplies of weaponry. 

A ceasefire and negotiations must be premised upon the principles of a two state solution, including a viable Palestinian state.  If the Israeli government continues to defy countless United Nations’ resolutions calling for this, then the international community must impose a comprehensive package of sanctions upon it, including the breaking of diplomatic relations, ending military support and referring war crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories to the International Criminal Court for action.

The Federation will continue to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, including pickets on the 29th of November, the UN Day of Solidarity with Palestine.

The world has witnessed the tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for too long.  It is time that justice prevail.  The warring parties must be compelled to return to the negotiating table and a lasting solution for the legitimate demands, hopes and fears of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples be found.  A lasting solution to this decades long conflict and violence, rests upon ending the occupation of Palestinian territories and an independent Palestinian state. 

Issued by COSATU