PASSED – BALAW Resolution For a Ceasefire in Gaza and an End to Occupation
WHEREAS, in Article III, Section 2 of the bylaws of the Bay Area Legal Aid Workers (BALAW), we pledge “to advance the economic, social, political, and cultural interests of our members.” In Section 3, we pledge “to fight for the elimination of poverty and social injustice through our work.” And in Section 4, we pledge “to win economic, social, and political rights for all workers without regard to criteria such as: race, sex, color, national origin, religious or political beliefs or associations, age, handicap, sexual orientation, language differences, citizenship status, unfavorable military discharge, or criminal record”; and
WHEREAS, we grieve the loss of life of all civilians, both Israeli & Palestinian, and feel grave concern for the safety of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages and captives; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that the current crisis did not begin on 7 October 2023, but took place in the context of decades of mass displacement of Palestinians and the annexation and occupation of Palestinian land; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that occupation and apartheid, much like white supremacy, harms all peoples. Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine is considered illegal under international law by a UN commission, and many human rights organizations – such as Amnesty International; Human Rights Watch; and B’Tselem, an Israeli organization—have found that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians; and
WHEREAS, the Israeli government has taken actions to collectively punish civilians in Gaza (a war crime), such as cutting off food, water, aid, and electricity and conducting a widespread bombing campaign and ground assault, and Oxfam International and Human Rights Watch condemned as a war crime the use of starvation in the Gaza Strip as a method of warfare; and
WHEREAS, on 15 October, more than 800 scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies and genocide studies signed a public statement warning of the possibility of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; and
WHEREAS, on 14 October, a UN human rights expert “warned … that Palestinians are in grave danger of mass ethnic cleansing ….”; and
WHEREAS, many US elected officials have encouraged Israel’s escalation of violence against Palestinians and have acted to silence those calling for Palestinian liberation; and
WHEREAS, the US provides Israel close to $4 billion in unconditional military aid per year, and the Biden administration has resolved to send nearly $14.5 billion in additional unconditional military aid to Israel; and
WHEREAS, working-class people bear the brunt of the harm of armed conflict, and the safety and livelihood of surviving workers throughout the region have been heavily impacted by the crisis; and
WHEREAS, UAW International has called for a ceasefire and announced that the International Executive Board will also be forming a Divestment and Just Transition working group to study the history of Israel and Palestine, our union’s economic ties to the conflict, and explore how we can have a just transition for US workers from war to peace; and
WHEREAS, BALAW stands in solidarity with all workers, students, and people of good conscience who have spoken out in support of the Palestinian people and faced any form of retaliation; and
WHEREAS, protestors who recently occupied the Bay Bridge to demand a permanent ceasefire and the liberation of Palestine (known as the “Bay Bridge 78”) were arrested and charged by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in a manner that we believe is excessive and chills the right to protest issues of tantamount importance.
WHEREAS, we support peaceful boycott movements, such as the one that contributed to the end of the apartheid system in South Africa, and we condemn all laws and other mechanisms meant to prevent organizations and people of good conscience from exercising the right to engage in boycott, divestment, and sanctions; now
THEREFORE, be it resolved, that BALAW stands in solidarity with the Palestine Trade Unions and endorses their demands; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW officially endorses the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS), calls upon UAW Local 2320 (NOLSW) and the UAW International to do the same. In doing so, BALAW proudly joins the ranks of other US labor organizations such as UAW Locals 2322 and 2865 and UE; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW will convene a working group or committee, to be appointed by the Executive Team, which will function to assist with the carrying out of the spirit and letter of this resolution and to provide continuing political education on this topic; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW endorses the Labor Movement Call for Ceasefire that has been signed by UAW International and NOLSW along with dozens of other labor organizations; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW joins ALAA – UAW Local 2325 in calling on UAW International and NOLSW to divest itself from any and all Israel bonds; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW will call on NOLSW, the UAW International, and central labor councils with which it participates to take the steps needed to push our elected officials to:
- Use all available legal means to pressure Israel to an immediate ceasefire and to stop providing Israel diplomatic cover for its war crimes;
- Call on Israel to withdraw from and end its assault and siege on Gaza and for a full restoration of water, power, and humanitarian aid to Gaza;
- End all military aid to Israel;
- Endorse BDS and divest from Israel bonds;
- Call for an end to Israeli apartheid and the occupation of Palestine, including lifting the military siege and blockade of Gaza; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW opposes Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian racism in all of their forms; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW opposes the conflation of criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, BALAW will endorse and encourage members to attend actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Bay Area; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW encourages NOLSW to pass a resolution similar to this and endorses any such effort; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW encourages other unions to join our calls for peace, endorsement of BDS, divestment of Israel bonds, an end to US military aid to Israel; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW will release a statement standing unequivocally in support of Palestinian liberation; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW stands in solidarity with the Bay Bridge 78 and calls on the SF DA’s Office to drop all charges against them.
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW will endorse efforts before state, regional, and local Bay Area governmental bodies that call for a ceasefire or for action consistent with this resolution; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved, that BALAW will send letters to Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler and the members of the House of Representatives representing the Bay Area, calling on them to support a ceasefire and end US military aid to Israel.
