The Trades Union Congress (TUC) passed a statement on Gaza at its annual congress Wednesday, urging the UK government to impose an Israel arms embargo and calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The statement, overwhelmingly endorsed, condemns the death toll in Gaza that included "many people going about their daily work", and "deplores attacks on UN facilities". The TUC recommends that those responsible for breaching international law "should be dealt with in the International Criminal Court". The TUC statement also calls for an end to the "blockade of Gaza" and welcomes "the creation of a unity government for the Palestinian Authority" involving both Fatah and Hamas, urging "the UK government and the European Union to support this development". In light of Israel's attacks on Gaza and policies in the Occupied Territories, the TUC statement calls on the UK government and EU to end "to e...

Britain remains determined to keep on arming Israel, judging by a decision taken by one of the most senior figures in the UK government this week. Vince Cable, the business secretary, has reviewed 130 licenses granted for exporting British weapons to Israel. On Tuesday, he announced that just twelve of these licenses would be suspended “in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities.” This means that if the current “truce” between Israel and Hamas holds, then Britain will deliver all the military equipment that Israel has ordered. Israel will be able to prepare for its next offensive against Gaza, with the aid of British weaponry. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) in London has complained that Cable’s decision was “not good enough.” Andrew Smith, a spokesperson for CAAT, called on the government to announce a “full embargo on all arms sales to Israel as well as an end to all military-industrial collaboration with Israel.” Broken promises Cable’s stance is a cas...

From Socialist Worker (UK) - The occupation of an Israeli-owned drone factory in Staffordshire came to an end last night as police scaled the roof to arrest the protesters. The occupation began around 5am on Tuesday morning when a group of campaigners from London Palestine Action descended on UAV Engines Limited. UAV builds engines for drones and is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company. The protesters chained the factory gates closed and occupied the roof, unfurling a “UK: Stop Arming Israel” banner. They demanded the factory was closed down and all military aid to Israel stopped immediately. The protesters remained defiant until the end chanting “brick by brick, wall by wall, Israeli apartheid’s gonna fall” as they were arrested and taken from the roof. The police cordoned off the area around the factory. But on Tuesday and Wednesday people from the surrounding area came to show solidarity with the occupation. Local activists protested outside Stafford Po...