The Congress of South African Trade Unions fully supports the statement of the South African government on the continued illegal expansion of the Israeli occupation, particularly in East Jerusalem.

"We condemn the fact that Israeli settlement expansion in East Jerusalem is coupled with Israel's campaign to evict and displace the original Palestinian residents from the city," said Chief Director for Public Diplomacy, Saul Kgomotso Molobi. "We call upon the Israeli government to cease their activities that are reminiscent of apartheid forced removals."

COSATU equally emphasises that Israel is an occupying power and that international legal obligations are clear on such matters, and rejects the attacks on our government by the Zionist Federation of South Africa, the body responsible for defending the policies of apartheid Israel in our country.

The Zionists arrogantly state that, "the Israeli government is legally entitled to allow for the natural expansion of the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo, in East Jerusalem. People, whether Jew or Arab, are being removed from their homes only because those homes are illegal. Any increase in the cycle of violence in the region will come from the radical Palestinian element determined at all costs to ensure that peace remains forever elusive."

"The SA Zionist Federation is appalled that the SA government compares the situation in Israel with that of ‘apartheid forced removals'. The apartheid regime was radically immoral; for the SA government to compare the two shows a regrettable lack of understanding of both and simultaneously makes a mockery of the tragedy of apartheid."

It finally makes the following ridiculous conclusion: "The South African Zionist Federation condemns the double standards applied only to Israel by our government; and questions again why Israel is always judged to a standard different from that of the rest of the world."

In fact, the greatest display of double standards is that by the US and Israel, who refuse to be subjected to the ICC and other international institutions of redress and justice for their war crimes in Gaza and the whole of Palestine, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The COSATU 10th National Congress resolution was clear on this matter when it said: "We support all cases that try those that committed crimes against humanity. However, we must ensure that this is not selective in its application and not used for narrow political interests, but to ensure relief and justice for victims of war crimes, abuse and conflicts.

"COSATU should call on the ICC to investigate and prosecute Israel and the US for war crimes in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and the whole Middle East, so as to ensure that the narrow interests of the powerful do not promote impunity in the administration of global justice".

Therefore we call on the Zionist Federation and its associates to respect international law, cease their support for apartheid policies and join the world community of freedom-loving people in the search for peace, justice and happiness for all.

We also encourage the South African government to continue raising the plight of our suffering brothers and sisters in Palestine who desire only peace and dignity in their own land. This is a legitimate struggle like those of in the same way that all colonised people waged their own struggles for democracy and freedom from occupation.

We also take this opportunity to join the world community of solidarity activists in preparing for global commemorations against the brutal Gaza incursion by Israel during December.

We welcome the initiative of the British Universities and Colleges Union and the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine to be held in various parts of the UK in December to bring together the active participation of unions that support the global BDS Campaign against Israel.

It will involve a series of major public meetings in Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester, culminating in a major BDS Conference in London on 5th December 2009. This kind of public mobilisation, involving mainly organisations and influential individuals from Palestine, South Africa, the UK and other parts of the world, is an important step in the process of consolidating a strong global movement for the liberation of Palestine. It should be emulated in all national campaigns.

Unless we unite and act together globally, a serious backlash could result and the cause of the Palestinian people could suffer under the weight of US imperialism and its cronies. This campaign was certainly boosted by the UN General Assembly's historic adoption of the Goldstone report, with its limitations, which is a step forward in the campaign for the prosecutions of all war criminals.