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Unifor joins the international community in expressing profound grief at the mounting loss of life in Israel and Gaza and are urgently calling for an end to violence. To date thousands have been killed – including an increasing number of children -- and many more are wounded.
We strongly condemn the attacks that have been recently perpetuated against Israeli civilians and the use of hostages by Hamas to achieve political gains. But retaliation against a Palestinian civilian population is not the answer, and must stop immediately. A humanitarian crisis is unfolding as innocent civilians lose access to food, water, medicines, supplies and electricity. Already, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza have been forcibly displaced from their homes.
Recent events are fueling and deepening divisions not only in the region, but across the globe – divisions we fear will only exacerbate hate, intolerance, discrimination and violence.
Unifor has long called on the negotiation of a permanent peace agreement with Palestine, the right to self-determination, and for Israel’s government to end its ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories and violations of international law. We fear that without such a process in place, the cycle of violence that plagued relations between both sides for decades will not be broken. Both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to live in peace, freedom and dignity.
Working people bear the brunt of all wars. Unifor will continue to denounce violence in all forms and call for international laws and human rights to be respected and upheld. We call on Canada and allies in the international community to take the necessary steps in order to make peace a reality. Our union will continue to believe in a world based on peace and solidarity for all working people, at home and abroad.
