Israel closes Palestinian Trade Union office in Jerusalem, arrests official

Israeli occupation forces yesterday closed the office of the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions in occupied East Jerusalem and arrested officials there.

The Jerusalem Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, said Israeli occupation forces stormed the union’s office in Salah Ad-Din Street in East Jerusalem and summoned its Secretary, Fawzi Shaaban. “Upon his arrival, they arrested him for his union activities and shut down the office,” it added.

This latest Israeli escalation comes within the context of banning the work of institutions affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in the city, it explained.

These measures constitute a clear obstruction of union activity and a clear violation of the Law on Trade Union Freedoms, as well as a violation of international conventions that guarantee the protection and preservation of workers’ rights and the freedom of union organisation, the Jerusalem Governorate said.

The  move comes after occupation forces prevented the union from holding elections for postal and telecommunications sector workers in the Jerusalem Governorate.

Israel has escalated its violations and attacks across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem since 7 October 2023, in parallel with its genocidal war in Gaza. Prior to the genocide, the occupation state was accused of working to erase Jerusalem’s Palestinian heritage and force Arabs out of the holy city.

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