The new LEFT UNITY party voted to adopt the
full Boycott Divestment and Sanctions position at its conference this weekend
just gone. It also voted to affiliate to PSC nationally and (where possible)
locally. We are happy to declare that this great achievement
was mainly down to members of our local WFPSC group, some of whom also members
of the local LU. The final motion was moved by Roland Rance but it was the
result of successful team work – also including Naomi, Ray, Susan and Inbar.
D. Support for Palestinian
rights and BDS
Proposed by Waltham
Forest branch
Left Unity stands in
solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against oppression and
dispossession. We will work and campaign towards a just resolution of the
Palestine conflict, and towards a future without violence and discrimination.
We recognise that the
preconditions for such a resolution include complete and unconditional Israeli
withdrawal from all territories occupied in the 1967 war, the implementation of
a programme to enable the return of Palestinians exiled and dispersed since the
establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and the negation of all
discriminatory legislation.
Left Unity supports, and
will work to promote, the call by scores of Palestinian organisations
(including all Palestinian trade unions) for a campaign of boycott, divestment
and sanctions against Israel until it complies with its obligations under
international law. We will work to support academic and cultural boycotts of
Israel.
Left Unity will
affiliate to and work with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and will support
local solidarity and twinning groups. In trade unions, we will work towards
establishing links with Palestinian trade unions and cutting links with Israeli
trade unions, including the Histadrut, which do not act in support of
Palestinian rights.
We will oppose
propaganda efforts to present Israel as a model for human or democratic rights.
In particular, we will support the campaign against Israeli “pinkwashing”,
which falsely presents Israel as an oasis of LGBTQ rights. We reject any
attempt to smear opponents of Zionism and supporters of Palestinian rights as
antisemites.
At the same time, Left
Unity will resolutely oppose any expression of antisemitism, whether within the
solidarity movement or elsewhere. We recognise that such racism is not only
wrong in itself; it also gives a spurious credibility to Israeli propaganda.
Our support for Palestinian rights is motivated by the principles of
international solidarity and anti-racism.
