Solidarität mit den 8 angeklagten Gewerkschaftern

Am kommenden 14. Februar soll die Urteilsverkündung in einem Prozess gegen 8 Aktivisten der arabischen Arbeiter in Israel stattfinden: Angeklagt sind sie ungefähr allem, was vorstellbar ist, von verbotenen Versammlung bis zum Waffenbesitz. Den "Sawt El Amel 8" drohen hohe Gefängnisstrafen. Der Prozess ist Resultat von Aktionen, die 1999 begonnen haben, mit denen sich arme AraberInnen gegen den sogenannten "Wisconsinplan" zur Wehr setzten, der eine ganze Reihe von Bestimmungen enthält, die auch hierzulande bekannt sind: faktische Zwangsarbeit zum Niedriglohn beispielsweise. Der breite Widerstand hat in den dazwischen liegenden Jahren zu einigen Veränderungen im ursprünglichen Konzept geführt - diejenigen, die diesen Widerstand begonnen haben, sollen nun exemplarisch abgestraft werden. Der Solidaritätsaufruf "Only 10 days to Free Sawt El Amel 8 Trade Unionists!" vom 5. Februar 2008 des International Trade Union Committee in support of Palestinian working men and women.

International Trade Union Committee in support of Palestinian working men and women

Let us place the Sawt El Amel 8 under the protection of the international labour movement!

Revoke the Nazareth court decision against Wehbe Badarne and the workers from Ein Mahel Village!

No penalty whatsoever should be imposed on trade unionists who have simply carried out their mandate!

On Thursday, 24 January 2008, in an iniquitous decision that sweeps aside the most elementary principles of democracy and the ILO Conventions, the court in Nazareth has just pronounced 8 Palestinian Arab trade unionists from Galilee guilty of:

Holding an illegal meeting and disturbing the peace, in contravention of Articles 151 and 152 of the 1977 Penal Code;

Assaulting a police officer in the exercise of his duties, in contravention of Article 273 of the 1977 Penal Code;

and Possession of a weapon, in contravention of Article 144(a) of the 1977 Penal Code.

The court will deliver its sentence on 14 February.

The Sawt El Amel 8 face terms in prison and heavy fines. Jamal Hassanen, Samir Habiballah, Wahida Habiballah, Khaldiya Hassanen, Mahmoud Habiballah, Wehbe Badarne, Arif Habiballah and Khitam Habiballah are representatives of Sawt el-Amel - an organisation that defends the rights of Palestinian Arabs within the 1948 borders who are being subjected to the Wisconsin Plan, a so-called welfare-to-work scheme that contravenes all of the provisions of the ILO's international employment standards.

The facts of this case go back eight years - to 27 October 1999 in front of the employment bureau in Upper Nazareth, and involved unemployed workers from Ein Mahe, an Arab village. In September 1999 the files of Ein Mahel's unemployed were transferred from the employment bureau in Nazareth to the branch in Upper Nazareth where the jobseekers were the victims of systematic discrimination. 199 out of the 454 unemployed from Ein Mahel lost their social benefits in September and October 1999 for allegedly "refusing to work". One of the bureau's main strategies was to send the Ein Mahel unemployed to workplaces that did not exist.

On 27 October 1999, a group of workers and trade unionists demanded a meeting with the area supervisor of the employment service. When this was refused, the unemployed present in the Upper Nazareth employment bureau spontaneously began to demonstrate. The police started to provoke the demonstrators. Three unemployed women were injured, and nine people were arrested, including Sawt el-Amel's director Wehbe Badarne.

We call on the international labour movement: These representatives on labour matters have done nothing more than carry out their duty as defenders of workers' interests, by organising meetings, demonstrations and protests to defend the material and moral interests of their constituents, specifically the unemployed men and women who have been subjected to the Wisconsin Plan. This is an inalienable and indivisible right that is recognised under every international convention on human rights, as well as by the Conventions of the ILO of which Israel is a member State.

We call upon all trade unionists and human rights activists all over the world to endorse this appeal and return it to us with a copy to: Attorney General Menahem Mazuz, Ministry of Justice, Salah ad-Din Street 29, Jerusalem 91010, Israel; Fax: +972 (0)2 6467001.

APPEAL to be returned to j-p.barrois@wanadoo.fr and alanbenjamin@earthlink.net

We will send a copy of the appeal, with your endorsement, to: Attorney General Menahem Mazuz, Ministry of Justice, Salah ad-Din Street 29, Jerusalem 91010, Israel; Fax: +972 (0)2 6467001.

PLEASE ENDORSE ASAP! APPEAL

We, the undersigned trade union and human rights activists and simple citizens demand that no penalty whatsoever be imposed on the Sawt El Amel 8: Wehbe Badarne, Director of Sawt El Amel, Jamal Hassanen, Samir Habiballah, Wahida Habiballah, Khaldiya Hassanen, Mahmoud Habiballah, Arif Habiballah and Khitam Habiballah. These activists have done nothing more than carry out their duty as defenders of workers' interests, by organising meetings, demonstrations and protests to defend the material and moral interests of their constituents, specifically the unemployed men and women who have been subjected to the Wisconsin Plan. This is an inalienable and indivisible right that is recognised under every international convention on human rights, as well as by the Conventions of the ILO of which Israel is a member State.

We call upon Attorney General Menahem Mazuz, and through him upon all the authorities, saying:

We, the undersigned place the Sawt El Amel 8 under the protection of the international labour movement.

Revoke the Nazareth court decision against Wehbe Badarne and the workers from Ein Mahel Village

No penalty whatsoever should be imposed on trade unionists who have simply carried out their mandate!