Jewish trade union statement
In November 2023, dozens of Jewish members of German trade unions shared this letter with ver.di, GEW, IG Metall and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) regarding their political positioning on the unfolding situation in Palestine and Israel and the reverberations domestically within Germany.
We are proud Jewish trade unionists and labour activists based in Germany. Many of us are the descendants of Holocaust survivors, who have chosen to make our lives here in Germany as active members of the labour movement, fighting for the rights and dignity of all workers - irrespective of their nationality, ethnicity, or religion. We are deeply disappointed by the union’s public statement posted to its Instagram account on October 9th, which expressed unilateral support for Israel while failing to address the already-escalating bombing campaign on Gaza. Since then, the DGB has also co-sponsored a rally in solidarity with Israel, while remaining silent about both the war in Gaza and suppression of protests in solidarity with Palestinians throughout Germany. Our politics of solidarity and internationalism are not conditional, and we urge our German Trade Unions to show solidarity towards all those affected by the violence of the past three weeks and follow the global labour movement and human rights community’s calls to minimise bloodshed. Further, in light of the German authorities’ suppression of protests in solidarity with Palestinians, we also call on the unions to affirm the importance of core civil liberties in Germany such as the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
We unreservedly condemn Hamas’s brutal October 7th attack and mourn the killings of 1,200 civilians in Israel and the kidnapping of hostages. We are also outraged by the Israeli military’s response and the brutal bombardment of a civilian population trapped under siege. The results are harrowing: 8,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed by the Israeli military, with countless more injured while hospitals are running out of supplies and fuel. The number of casualties grows with every hour. We all have family and friends in Israel and Palestine and are worried for their safety while we anxiously watch these horrors unfold from afar. Every day we are afraid of what will come next in this rapidly escalating situation. The Israeli military explicitly prevents Palestinian civilians from leaving Gaza. At the same, it also prevents any food, humanitarian aid, or journalists from entering one of the most densely populated places on Earth. While civilians cannot leave the area, the shelling of residential buildings, schools, and hospitals continues. All of these acts constitute grave war crimes and are unacceptable under any circumstances. The current political situation in Israel and Palestine is exacerbated by the most right-wing government in Israeli history, which preaches a policy of permanent occupation and ongoing violent displacement of Palestinians over diplomacy or respect for human rights. Right-wing extremism has no place anywhere and will not bring any kind of durable safety for Israelis or Palestinians, as it only serves to sow the seeds of further violence for all communities. As trade unionists, we also have to look at this with the regional labour regime in mind: The harsh response by the Israeli government sets back the rights and safety of both Israeli and Palestinian workers. It is not possible to understand the labour situation in the region without understanding the legalised exploitation of Palestinian workers. The militarised system of work permits not only hurts Palestinians, but also undermines the bargaining position of Israeli workers. Our trade union’s decision to issue a blanket statement of support for the government of Israel at this time, while remaining silent about the brutal nature of the onslaught on civilians in Gaza is deeply disappointing. Such a statement is also highly inappropriate as it is out of line with the convictions of many trade union members. Moreover, we are alarmed at the domestic response by the German state: in recent weeks, German authorities have suppressed free speech and protests – arresting people of all backgrounds, including Israelis and Jews, for opposing the bombardment of civilians in Gaza. This is based on blanket accusations of hate speech, which the DGB has itself repeated. This draconian restriction of gatherings and protests perpetuates and nourishes a growing fascist threat by limiting our fundamental rights and embracing the AfD’s xenophobic and racist rhetoric about minorities and our communities in Germany.
As Jewish trade union members in Germany, we know our history: we are all too aware of the vile harms of fascism and nationalism, just as we remember that Jews and trade unionists were amongst the first to be targeted by the Nazi regime. We also know that antisemitism is unfortunately deeply anchored within contemporary Germany and is certainly not a phenomenon that can merely be imputed onto migrant communities as “imported antisemitism.” State elections in Hessen and Bavaria in October 2023 show that antisemitism, and indeed hatred of minorities generally, is not merely a threat of the past in Germany, but a present and growing threat to the safety of all minority communities today. As Jews and trade unionists who know this history, we cannot tolerate right-wing rhetoric creeping into the labour movement, nor can we be silent as entire segments of Germany’s increasingly diverse populations are accused of antisemitism and tarred with violent and dehumanising language. We refuse to let our union misrepresent our views, especially when such misguided statements are ostensibly made in solidarity with our own Jewish communities. The statements issued by ver.di and the DGB do not speak for many of your members, and they certainly do not speak for us, nor do such statements make us safer as Jews - whether here in Germany, or in Israel. In line with UNI Global Union, ITUC, and other trade union organisations around the world, we call on the union to adopt a statement that shows solidarity with both the Israelis and Palestinians harmed by the recent escalation of violence in the region. Solidarity with Jewish victims of terror does not negate our solidarity towards Palestinians and our duty to safeguard their human rights. In concrete terms, such a statement must include calls for:
- An immediate cease-fire;
- Safe return of all Israeli hostages;
- An end to the siege blocking humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and electricity from reaching Gaza;
- Recognition of both Israeli and Palestinian right to dignity and safety.
We also ask that the union affirm the importance of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly as core tenets of the labour movement. As labour activists, we cannot abide the erosion of these rights, nor can we sit back and watch as authorities restrict our fundamental rights and shrink the realm of public space for civil society. Our solidarity is most critical when it is most difficult to find. We sign this document to promote internal debate of this complex and dire situation within the trade union movement of Germany.
- Datum: 29 November 2023