Delegates vote to call for abolishing Ofsted at the NEU union conference in Bournemouth (Picture: NEU)
The NEU education union conference has called on the British government to “stop being an enabler of Israel’s apartheid policies, violence and anti-Palestinian racism”.
Delegates in Bournemouth overwhelmingly voted on Thursday for a motion that slammed the Israeli government as “racist” and said it “has a case to answer on genocide”. “Israel’s current hard-right, racist government is the main driver of conflict, violence and war in Palestine and Israel,” it said.
It should give confidence to NEU members to build action in the workplaces on the Palestine day of action on Wednesday 1 May.
Delegates were defiant after Tory education secretary Gillian Keegan attacked the motion as “inappropriate” and “reflecting the NEU’s divisive ideology”.
Debs, an NEU member, said, “The NEU union will take no lectures from Gillian Keegan. The Tories are the ones continuing to supply the Israeli army with weapons that kill Palestinians and try and criminalise those who speak out in defence of Palestine.”
Palestine solidarity “has everything to do with the NEU,” Debs added. “Children in Palestine are not receiving any education. Schools have been razed to the ground. If we can’t support the 13,000 murdered children, then what’s the point of an education union?”
A speaker from the floor said, “Keegan should visit staff rooms and see the revulsion against the killing of children and women and the bombing of schools.
“Keegan calls us divisive. No. What is divisive is supporting an apartheid regime abroad and anti-Muslim rhetoric at home.”
The motion noted the British government’s attempts “to criminalise the peaceful tactics of boycott, divestment and sanctions” and “to stigmatise solidarity with Palestinians”.
It instructed the NEU union to “publish and circulate educational resources that members can use to increase understanding of Palestine and Israel”. It also reaffirmed support for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and encouraged districts to affiliate to PSC and work with its local branches.
Mairead Canavan, a member of the NEU union national executive, described the role trade unions can play in the Palestine movement. She said, “Trade unions have economic leverage by refusing to handle Israeli goods.
“We can put pressure on the Israeli government, we can target workplaces making arms for Israel.”
Anurag Khahra, a delegate from Somerset, added, “If we don’t fight for Palestine, any fight on any other issues will amount to nothing more than liberal handwringing.”
Delegates passed an amendment to the motion that slammed Western governments for axing aid to the Unrwa aid agency. The move “accentuates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and is unjustifiable”.
Delegate Arthur Hutchinson opposed the amendment, repeating the Israeli lie that Unrwa aid workers were part of Hamas.
Peter Block, a delegate from Barnet in north London, opposed the motion. He claimed that people had a cognitive bias when people spoke about Palestine, and that Israel was being unfairly demonised.
Lucy Cox, a delegate from Brent in west London, said, “What we are watching is a genocide. A genocide against women and children and targeting education. We have to stand up. There is no cognitive bias.”
Lucy explained, “There is no evidence of the claims about Unrwa. Unrwa provides education, food and health. To get rid of Unrwa is to get rid of the ways to keep life going on the Gaza strip. We must fight to have funding for Unrwa reinstated.”
Louise, a delegate from Kirklees in West Yorkshire, argued that trade unions should escalate their action for Palestine. “Trade unions can march and protest, but we need to cut off the supply of arms at the source.
“Protesters shut down the Teledyne factory by occupying their offices and disrupting its supply lines. But it shouldn’t be left to protesters. Our trade union movement should be stopping arms to the Israeli regime.”
Another speaker attacked the Islamophobic Prevent programme. They said it’s “used in schools to shut down debate, shut down solidarity for Palestinians and racially profile Muslim students and Muslim colleagues”.
“In our school, after the war in Palestine started, we were banned from having discussions about it and the school tried to impose Prevent training,” the delegate said. “We acted collectively and so walked out of the training.
“The pressure worked. The school then held assemblies on Palestine and allowed students and staff to wear badges.”
Another amendment attacked Labour’s support for Israel’s war. Shaun, a delegate from Worcestershire, attacked Keir Starmer and the Labour front bench for taking “five months to back a call for a ceasefire”.
“The change in position happened from the massive pressure politicians have come under because of the protests taking place,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands have marched in Britain.”
The NEU nationally should mobilise for 1 May day of action. We need mass action in workplaces, campuses and the streets to deepen the Palestine solidarity movement.
Russia has threatened revenge after British-made drones targeted its oil refineries and transport networks
Deadline to accept new conditions approaches
Homelessness charity worker explains why more cash is not enough
Labour’s health secretary has no answers
