PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2015 :: RMTnews 21 President’s column When visiting overseas countries during my time as President I have seen a lot of poor conditions and difficulties. But these are nothing to what I saw on my recent visit to Palestine. I have followed this conflict for over forty years but, after my visit, I realise that I knew nothing. I was there on the invitation of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the delegation consisted of members of the PSC and high ranking delegates from sister unions ASLEF and TSSA as well as a reporter and a lawyer. We were there to get first-hand experience of Palestinians and their daily struggle to just exist day to day. The first shock, and eye opener for me, was the illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian territories. I always thought they were small hamlets or, at best, villages. In reality they are very large towns. They are surrounded by the wall that stretches right across the West Bank. Life inside these settlements is very different to the conditions that the Palestinians have to endure in theirs. They are clean and have lovely streets, amenities and shops. The Palestinian towns, in contrast, lack even basic facilities. This is not because of lack of cleanliness or effort by the Palestinians, but because of the severe restrictions placed on them by the Israeli government. For example, if a Palestinian builds an extension to his home without a permit, the Israelis will bulldoze it. The irony is that it is very difficult for the Palestinians to get a permit. In contrast, even though the settlements are illegal, they are never bulldozed. We met a family in East Jerusalem (supposedly Palestinian-controlled) who were being evicted from their home in order to move in an Israeli family. This was just the start of the terrible injustices we were about to see. We went to a refugee camp in Bethlehem and the conditions were absolutely appalling. We were visiting a community centre and there were two loud bangs. On opening the windows to look out, we were assailed by tear gas. Three children, about seven years old, had been tear-gassed for laughing at the Israeli soldiers who staff the entrance to the camp. The most harrowing thing about it was the way that one of the boys picked up the tear-gas canister, and threw it out of harm’s way. Obviously they were used to this happening. What a terrible indictment of our society, worldwide, to allow this to happen. We also visited a Bedouin camp outside Hebron. They had their village bulldozed three times and had all water and electricity supplies cut off. They also had all their livestock, including their camels, confiscated by the Israeli authorities. This was despite the fact that they had proof that the land was theirs- from the British government when they controlled it and also from when it was controlled by the Ottoman Empire! Hebron was where we saw probably the worst conditions. There is an illegal settlement right in the centre of the city, and it is guarded by more soldiers that there are settlers. This was the only time that we were threatened and this was by a settler who was angry that we were walking in “his” town. There were many other incidences, but throughout it all, we were impressed and humbled by the friendliness, bravery, and determination of the Palestinian people. I am not against the Jewish people having their own land but, clearly despite the Oslo Agreement, some Israelis will not be satisfied until they inhabit the whole of the Palestinian lands. This has to stop now. If your branch, or yourselves, are not affiliated to PSC, please do so now and help these wonderful people. Peter Pinkney FREE PALESTINE