During its quarterly meeting this week, AFSCME’s International Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution addressing the current conflict in Gaza, calling it a “humanitarian disaster and tragedy.”
The resolution recognizes that lasting peace in the region must be based on Israel’s right to exist and the right of Palestinians to their own sovereign and autonomous homeland.
Declaring that “responsible parties must accept that Israelis and Palestinians have claims that are both legitimate and in conflict with each other,” the Board calls for a negotiated ceasefire that includes the release of all hostages and immediate humanitarian assistance for people in Gaza and the West Bank.
AFSCME also recognizes that the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli response have led to an increase of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents in the United States.
“We will work to protect the rights and recognize the dignity of all people,” the resolution concludes, opposing “religious-based and race-based hatred and discrimination in our workplaces and communities.”