This policy was adopted at NUT Conference at Easter 2002

Conference notes with grave concern developments in the Occupied Territories and Israel since 29th September 2000 and in particular:-
1 the deaths during the following twelve months of over 600 Palestinians killed and the wounding of over 14,000;
2 the deaths of over 200 Israeli citizens and the wounding of 1,400 during this same period;
3 the destruction of houses and olive groves, the closing of roads and the blockading of all normal trade from the Occupied Territories of Gaza and the West Bank 4 that amongst Palestinians unemployment had reached 38% in September 2001
Conference expresses its support for: -
A The right to self-determination of the Palestinian people as expressedin UN resolutions.
B The right of return for the Palestinian people expressed in Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and endorsed in UN General
Assembly Resolutions 3236 (1974) and 52/62 (1997);
C The immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from all the territories occupied in 1967 as expressed in United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
Conference deplores the failure of the United Nations to bring pressure to bear on Israel to fulfil its responsibilities. Conference therefore resolves to:
i) communicate these views to the Israeli Embassy and Government, the Palestinian Authority, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the TUC and Education International
ii) make contact with the General Union of Palestinian Teachers to establish what additional support can be provided for GUPT;
iii) investigate through the GUPT and others building links with Palestinian organisations and/or areas in the occupied territories through twinning arrangements;
iv) consider what the Union can do to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) ­ the UN agency with responsibility for the education of Palestinian refugee children.
v) work with other labour movement bodies, Palestinian and human rights organisations around the aims of this motion;
vi) submit this motion for discussion at the Education International.
 

Dedicated to the memory of
Dr Yousef Allan
1952-2001

This policy was adopted by the NUT Executive on 12 July 2001.

General Motion
The Executive passed the following motion unanimously:
The Executive expresses its deep regret and grave concern at the loss of life, in particular the killing of children, in Israel and the Occupied Territories.

The Executive notes the comments made by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan, condemning "indiscriminate terrorist attacks from whatever quarter they come" and "that attacks by the Israeli armed forces against Palestinian towns and villages, and the restrictions on Palestinian economic activity, were excessive, disproportionate and counter-productive".

The Executive also notes that the UN Secretary General has called for the full implementation of the Mitchell Report and has emphasised that a lasting, just and viable peace should be based upon UN resolutions, addressing the rights of Palestinians to self determination and of refugees to return to their homes, and the rights of all people in the region, including Israelis, to live in peace and with security.

The Executive recognises the important role that can be played by teachers and their organisations in promoting peace with justice in the area. The Executive acknowledges the genuine commitment of the Israeli Teachers Union (ITU) and the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) to peace and justice and the initiatives taken to promote understanding between teachers and their organisations.

The Executive determines to raise the NUT`s serious concerns on these issues with the Israeli Embassy and Government, the Palestinian Authority, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the TUC and Education International. The Executive acknowledges the part played by the NUT in promoting GUPT membership of Education International.

The Executive notes the role that has been played by the NUT in facilitating
a dialogue between the Israeli Teachers Union and the General Union of
Palestinian Teachers. The Executive welcomes the initiative of the NUT in securing for the GUPT support from Education International to help it operate effectively in very difficult circumstances.

The Executive wishes the NUT to make further representations on behalf of GUPT to establish what additional support can be provided for GUPT. The Executive calls upon EI to further consider what initiatives it can take to promote peace and justice and to hold at the earliest possible date the proposed conference on anti-racism and anti-Semitism in the region. The NUT¹s International Relations, Peace and Disarmament Sub-Committee is asked to consider what the NUT can do to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) ­ the UN agency with responsibility for the education of Palestinian refugee children.

The Executive calls upon EI to take forward consideration of a conference
for EI affiliates from Arab States.

(* EI - Education International - the international body to which the NUT is
affiliated and represents millions of teachers world-wide.)

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