The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] disdainfully rejects the peace plan that was announced by Donald Trump and calls on all peace and justice loving people of the world to reject the plan with the contempt it deserves.

The Trump plan titled ‘Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People’ recognizes and legitimises the Jewish settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory, which are regarded as illegal under international law. As NEHAWU, we hold a strong view that the plan is aimed at further giving Apartheid Israel more leeway to occupy Palestinian land and make no effort in resolving the longstanding Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The fact that the plan was drawn by Trump’s son in law with no input from the Palestinians further buttress the fact that Trump is hell-bent on aiding and abetting Israel to continue with the illegal occupation of Palestine and its colonial project. Any negotiations that does not include the affected people are a sham and an underhand attempt at continuing the status quo.

It is important to note that the plan is nothing but a glorified copy and paste version of Apartheid South Africa’s Bantustans, this farce of a plan places Palestinians in homelands, with no sovereignty whilst at the control and pleasure of Apartheid Israel.

The Trump administration has been brazen in their support of the Israeli occupation of the West bank including the 2017 formal recognition of the city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem and the cutting off aid to Palestinian refugees. This plan further allows apartheid Israel to occupy more fertile Palestinian land while Palestinians will be compensated with a piece of the desert linked to Gaza near the Egyptian border.

NEHAWU reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Palestine and we call for an end to the US enabled colonization and land theft of Palestine. In this regard, we will intensify our solidarity with the Palestinian struggle to end the Israeli occupation and towards the goal of an independent sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

We are fully behind the call for all political prisoners and detainees to be released immediately. The Israelis must affirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

Palestine is not for Trump to offer nor for Netanyahu to steal! 

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969; Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 082 455 2500 or email: khaya@nehawu.org.za