WHEREAS:

Success in the ongoing Middle East peace talks will benefit Israel by solving the question of Israel's existence and security thus lifting an enormous financial burden that has contributed to the internal division in that country; and

WHEREAS:

Success in these talks will benefit Palestinians by aiding realization of their expressed desire for self-determination, and by bringing an end to the human rights abuses that are part of living under military occupation; and

WHEREAS:

The success of these talks will also benefit U.S. working people and our nation by bringing increased stability to that part of the world, reducing our chances of further military and financial involvement; and

WHEREAS:

One of the major obstacles to the peace talks is the Israeli government's insistence on continuing expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, a policy that Histadrut, the Israeli labor movement, condemned when it called on the government to ". . . prevent the establishment of new settlements and the expansion of existing ones in the territories"; and

WHEREAS:

Building more settlements in the occupied territories causes the taking of more land, more water, and more employment from the Palestinians — causing further deterioration in already poor conditions for Palestinians; and recent developments have shown that the worsening of conditions for Palestinians has the effect of making many Palestinians less patient with peaceful discussions and negotiations of any kind, and making many Palestinians turn to more militant responses to their conditions; and

WHEREAS:

The Israeli government has asked the United States to provide a $10 billion loan guarantee for housing for immigrants to Israel, including those leaving the former Soviet Union, but insists on the right to use such guarantees for new housing or expansion of existing settlements in the occupied territories; and

WHEREAS:

There is broad support in the United States for a policy of assisting Israel resettle Soviet immigrants, but the question of new settlements in the occupied territory has seriously undermined such support.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this 30th International Convention endorse the position of the Israeli labor movement calling for a ban on the establishment of new settlements and the expansion of existing ones in the occupied territories; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME oppose the granting by the U.S. government of the $10 billion loan guarantee to Israel unless it is conditioned so as to prevent new and expanded settlements in the occupied territories.

SUBMITTED BY:

Alice Gates, Delegate
Judy Shattuck, Delegate
AFSCME Local 3211, Council 10
California

Craig Alderson, President
Venessa Tait, Secretary-Treasurer
AFSCME Local 3211, Council 10
California

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE