Another BDS Victory: Irish Trade Union TEEU Votes to Boycott Israel

(Source: AIC) At its biennial conference last weekend, the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) unanimously voted to “support for a boycott campaign of Israeli goods and services and a policy of disinvestment from Israeli companies” as a result of the Israeli state’s continuing breaches of international law and human rights abuses against the people of Palestine.

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) welcomed the passing of the motion[1].

TEEU General President, Frank Keoghan, welcomed the motion saying: “It is an expression of the solidarity and empathy that members of the TEEU, and indeed all Irish people, feel for the suffering people of Palestine, that this motion received the unanimous support of our Conference.”

The motion was submitted by the TEEU’s Executive Management Committee, and speaking from the floor one delegate outlined the rationale for the motion, saying: “The global trade union movement has consistently demonstrated its commitment to Palestinian rights by adopting labour-led sanctions as a form of effective solidarity with Palestinians. The TEEU should be proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Palestinian trade union brothers and sisters, those brave Israelis – Jewish and Arab – who promote BDS, and those trade unions from Britain, to Belgium, to Canada to South Africa and beyond that have taken the principled decision to support BDS.”

IPSC National Chairperson Freda Hughes praised the passing of the resolution saying: “The IPSC congratulates the TEEU on passing this historic motion, and we proudly welcome the TEEU into the ranks of the Palestinian-led worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) coalition that will finally bring to an end Israeli apartheid, occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people”.

[1]: The full text of the motion reads as follows:
Conference pledges its support for a boycott campaign of Israeli goods and services and a policy of disinvestment from Israeli companies as a means of encouraging the Israeli government to comply with International Law and to cease violating the human rights  of the Palestinian people and will pursue active engagement with Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups and civic society organizations as appropriate.