Strike call in Palestine is a new challenge to Israeli state

Palestinian campaigns and organisations have called for a general strike across all of Palestine to take place on Tuesday.

And they have called for demonstrations in the West Bank, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and behind Israel’s borders, set to begin at 12 noon British time.

The strike was apparently first called by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. This is an umbrella group of Palestinian councils and political parties inside Israel’s borders and has semi-official status in Israel.

In a statement, the High Follow-Up Committee called for a strike by Palestinians everywhere except some education sectors. This is in response to Israel’s vicious attacks on Palestinian citizens of Israel, its attempts to evict families in Jerusalem, and its assault on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian teachers’ unions, lecturers’ unions and the lawyers’ Bar Association in the West Bank announced their support for the strike. Palestinian prisoners’ organisations said they would join it.

It is also backed by the Palestinian led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Actions

Middle East Eye reports that unlike previous strikes—symbolic actions called by the Palestinian Authority’s ruling party Fatah—this one is “pushed and organised by ordinary Palestinians”.

This time, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority fell in behind the strike, declaring that all public sector institutions in the West Bank will shut down.

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If the strike call is successful, it will be a significant escalation in the revolt sweeping across all parts of Palestine. It will also be a sign that the revolt is growing in size and becoming more organised.

Palestinians have called for solidarity too. A statement from BDS said, “Palestinians are calling for meaningful solidarity with our general strike.

“Dismantling Israel’s regime of military occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid is in our hands. Your hands too.”

BDS’s suggested actions include demanding MPs, university bosses and trade union leaders to call for sanctions against Israel—and joining demonstrations on the global day of action this Saturday.