Oakland dockers stand firm as Israeli Consul seeks an audience

Report by Greg Dropkin

Published: 07/07/10

On the eve of the 5th anniversary of the United Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, Israel faces blockades of ships and cargo spreading from Oakland, California to Sweden and India. South African dockers imposed their own boycott in February 2009 after the invasion of Gaza. Israel’s attack on the Freedom Flotilla provoked the recent blockades.

Seeking to nip the growing movement at one of its many sources, the Israeli Consul in San Francisco asked to address the Executive Board of ILWU Local 10. Other names in the hat to join the Consul included the Zionist Dr. Roberta Seid. The aim, evidently, was to persuade dockers of their misunderstanding of the murderous attack on the flotilla and the ongoing siege of Gaza, in the hopes that they might reconsider or even disavow their action.

Last night ILWU Local 10 Executive Board, after receiving a request from the Palestinian union federation PGFTU, denied permission to the San Francisco Israeli Consulate delegation to address the union and reaffirmed the union’s position opposing the blockade of Gaza, the apartheid wall in the West Bank and the continuing bloody Zionist oppression of Palestinians.

The message from Sweden last week was equally clear. The Boycott is real, and spin cannot wish it away.