An Irish Congress of Trade Unions delegation, led by President Kevin Callinan, returned from Palestine this afternoon. The President, who is also General Secretary of Fórsa, was accompanied by Vice-President Phil Ní Sheaghdha, who is also General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, by Executive Council member and former President Patricia McKeown, who is also Regional Secretary of UNISON, and by ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy.
This was the first high-level ICTU mission to Palestine since 2007, although there have been many visits from union groups in the meantime often arranged through Trade Union Friends of Palestine.
The intensive five-day schedule consisted of several meetings with Palestinian government representatives, trade union leaders, and non-governmental organisations in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. The delegation conducted site visits to hospitals and other health and educational facilities including at the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem. They also had courtesy meetings with staff of the Representative Office of Ireland in Palestine, led by Don Sexton, and with the Irish Ambassador to Israel, Kyle O'Sullivan.
On arrival back in Dublin, Kevin Callinan said: "The accelerating growth of illegal settlements, effectively stealing land from Palestinians, is a flagrant breach of the Oslo Accords. The fact that this can happen with impunity, and an Israeli failure to intervene to prevent it, is an affront to the international community". "Israel's military occupation deprives the Palestinian people of basic human rights. The system in which they are forced to live is a form of apartheid" Patricia McKeown said.
The group witnessed the 8 metre high separation wall that traverses the landscape of the West Bank, often constructed in a way to seize areas of Palestinian land in breach of the peace settlement. The delegation was unable to visit Gaza and a trip to Nablus was cancelled due to the current level of settler violence taking place in the region.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that "the contribution of Irish trade unionists and nurses to various health facilities throughout Palestine has been really impressive. We will be looking at how we can deepen these connections". The group made a small presentation to the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem in memory of the northern secretary of TUFP, Eamonn McMahon, who passed away last year. "If Ireland was to recognise the Palestinian state it would offer real hope for the people there as they have had to watch other events, like the Ukraine war, push Palestine down the priority list for the international community".
The delegation is seeking an urgent meeting with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss their findings. It is understood that the Tánaiste is due to visit the region soon.
*Photograph shows Congress delegation with Dr.Amal Jadou Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Palestine
