Motion on Gaza Passed at NEU Executive
The Executive notes that:
Over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed including over 7,700 children since the war on Gaza began. Many more have been injured and many are missing. By mid-December some 372 school buildings have been damaged – some have been destroyed. According to the UNRWA – the United Nations, Relief and Works Agency which is responsible for Palestinian refugees – 150 of their schools have become shelters alongside 130 local authority schools.
There were 625,000 school aged children before the war but none of them can attend school now according to a report in The Guardian (18/12/23). Jonathan Crick a spokesperson for UNICEF is quoted as saying that “There is absolutely no form of education or schooling in the Gaza strip at the moment”.
At least 200 teachers have been killed and more than 500 are injured. Some 85% of the population are internally displaced – around 1.8 million of Gaza’s population are internally displaced.
Water, electricity, and gas have been stopped. The World Health Organisations and other bodies believe that more people could die because of starvation and disease as a result of the shortages and contamination that is happening to the water supply.
This is a human catastrophe cause by the deliberate action of the Government of Israel and is clearly a war crime and an act of genocide.
The UK government has failed to call for a permanent ceasefire and continues to give unconditional support to Israel.
The Executive commits to:
1. Build for the next national day of action on Wednesday 7th February sending guidance to all members on actions that they can take in their workplace – this to be shared with members by Wednesday 31st January at the latest
2. To call an emergency ISO/members online meeting to share the NEU guidance, discuss how members can raise issues within their workplace and get involved in the campaign for Palestinian rights
3. Encourage all members and districts to attend National demonstrations and take banners and flags
4. Circulate updated guidance on Prevent and how members can challenge unacceptable use of this in their workplace
5. Start to build a bank of resources that can be used by members in schools and colleges to teach about Israel/Palestine both the historical facts and the current situation
6. Provide guidance to members on Solutions not Sides and their one sided narrative
7. Challenge NSPCC about their ongoing complicity in the occupation through their links with JCB and consider how we can plan a targeted campaign with members to oppose this
8. To organise a delegation to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express our concerns and to the leaderships of the political parties of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.