Israeli security forces arrest a man during clashes in the Old City of al-Quds on April 24, 2021. (Photo by Getty Images)
San Diego, September 16 (RHC)-- A branch of the second largest teacher's labor union in the United States, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has condemned Israel's brutal military regime and “apartheid,” besides its forced evictions of Palestinians from the occupied al-Quds and flagrant violations of human rights.
AFT Guild Local 1931, which serves colleges and education faculties in San Diego, passed a statement in support of Palestine that had been approved earlier this month. The union denounced Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and its practice of apartheid, saying in a statement that it “condemns the forced removal of Palestinian residents in West al-Quds, the bombing of civilian areas in the besieged Gaza Strip, and the continued human rights violations committed by Israel during its 73-year occupation” of Palestinian territories.
The statement highlighted that a large number of Palestinian lives have been lost and essential infrastructure destroyed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s use of advanced weaponry in its indiscriminate bombing of the impoverished coastal enclave.
The teacher's union also decried the Tel Aviv regime’s attempts to forcibly expel Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East al-Quds. It said the measure “follows a 73-year pattern of disenfranchising Palestinians of their rights, property and the opportunity to live with dignity.”
The group said Israel, irrespective of repeated condemnation by the international community, has pursued home demolitions, land confiscations, systemic denial of building permits, and massive illegal settlement building as its official policy ever since the regime began its military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza back in 1967.
“Since the 1967 War, 48,488 Palestinian homes and other structures have been demolished compared to none belonging to Israelis. The United Nations has condemned Israel’s continued occupation of territory after the 1967 war. The International Court condemns the settlements, and Israel has repeatedly snubbed efforts to limit the settlements, which are viewed as an obstacle to peace,” the union pointed out.
The statement also condemned anti-Semitism, but argued that the conflation of criticism of Israel's policies and system of occupation and apartheid with racism towards Jews was a dangerous trend.
The group cited a 2018 open letter signed by over 40 Jewish groups worldwide, which argued that “this conflation undermines both the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality and the global struggle against anti-Semitism” and “serves to shield Israel from being held accountable to universal standards of human rights and international law.”
