[R-G] F16 Missiles Destroy the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions Headquarters

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

Expect resounding silence from top US union officials.  The only trade
unionists in the Middle East whom they pretend to _really_ care about
are Iranians, for whom they are holding a "Global Day of Action" today
<http://www.solidaritycenter.org/content.asp?contentid=727> and
<http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/osanloo-action.cfm> (who knew
besides me?) -- not that they can mobilize more than a handful of
American workers, who are having trouble standing up for their own
rights, for that.  What's really funny is that they claim, among other
things, that "a mass rally or march" for _Iranian workers_ is planned
in "the West Bank" (see "Worldwide Update" at
<http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/osanloo-action.cfm>)! -- Yoshie

<http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41445>
LABOUR-MIDEAST:  Missile Goes Down a Union's Throat
By Mohammed Omer

The unions building in Gaza is destroyed
<http://ipsnews.net/fotos/workers.jpg>
Credit:Mohammed Omer

GAZA CITY, Mar 4 (IPS) - Two F-16 missiles were all it took to bring
down the five-storey headquarters of the Palestinian General
Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU).

The Union, established in 1965, is one of the forerunners of the
movement calling for an international boycott of Israel, and
imposition of sanctions on it until Israel meets its obligations over
UN resolutions, borders, and the right of Palestinian refugees to
return to their homeland.

Following the bombing last Thursday, Union members have resumed their
work from a tent, gathering what files and paper they could from under
the rubble.

"The occupation doesn't need any justifications to commit crimes
against Palestinians," Nabil al-Mabhouh, acting head of the
Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions in Gaza told IPS. But
the building had apparently been targeted because "we at PGFTU are
supporting the rights of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers."

Mabhouh said theirs is not a militant organisation, but a
"rights-based organisation open to all people from different political
affiliations and locations. We have relations with many international
trade unions." The building, he said, had come up with Norwegian
money.

"Targeting a civil organisation shows how barbaric and outrageous the
Israeli occupation is," he said. "We are not launching rockets;
targeting a labourers union building is not justified."

The building, he said, had been used to offer health services to tens
of thousands of workers and their families, through a workers union
health insurance.

"We strongly condemn this crime which aims to break down the
Palestinian labourers, and call for all trade unions in the world to
stand by us and protect the Palestinian labourers from such criminal
practices."

As always with such bombings, neighbouring houses were damaged as well
in the attack.

Palestinian officials estimate that Israel used two one-tonne missiles
on this densely-populated civilian area, which explains the extensive
damage to hundreds of flats around.

The losses are significant: aside from one dead and 37 injured, mostly
women and children, some of them in critical condition in Shifa
hospital, there has been considerable damage to the structure of
surrounding houses. Countless windows and doors were blown off, and
the damage to weight-bearing structural walls mean that rebuilding
will be necessary -- but impossible, due to the Israeli siege and lack
of building materials.

If the Israeli aim was to also terrorise the civilian population, it worked.

A young mother said she was asleep when the bombing began; she woke up
to find her entire building shaking. Her five children continued to
scream all night, begging the parents to hide them somewhere safe.

She said she cannot replace window panes. "We can't even afford to buy
nylon (to cover the windows)," said her husband, adding that he hadn't
worked for the past two years. He can afford nothing but bare food.

The explosion plunged the entire area into darkness, as electricity
wires were cut off. It also caused water shortage after water tanks
were hit by shrapnel and began to leak. Days later, there is still no
running water in homes.

Abu Eidah's car outside was damaged by falling debris, as was most of
their furniture and assets. But at least the family survived the
strike to tell the story.

Abu Eidah is now searching desperately for another house. Another air
strike in the neighbourhood, and the flats could come down. A relative
has offered Abu Eidah an apartment that he and his family may now have
to move into.

The number of homeless families has increased throughout Gaza, as has
the demand for apartments on rent -- tents from aid agencies can
hardly protect residents from the cold and rain of Gaza's winter.
Meanwhile, people rendered homeless by the bombing continue to haul in
donkey carts to move whatever furniture and belongings survived the
shelling. But only a few can leave; hundreds of other families have no
option but to stay put, amidst the rubble in the cold of winter.
(END/2008)

--
Yoshie
<http://montages.blogspot.com/>