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Last update - 22:08 08/07/2007
Major British workers' union joins moves to boycott Israel
By Haim Bior, Haaretz Correspondent

Britain's Transport and General Workers' Union has called upon its 800,000 members to boycott Israeli-made products based on what they term Israel's "criminal policies in Palestinian territories."

The decision to call for a boycott, reached at a union conference in Brighton, is declarative and does not include concrete steps to implement the boycott.

The TGWU is the second British union to call for a boycott on Israel this year - last month the British public services union UNISON also urged its members to refrain from purchasing Israeli products, basing the call on Israel's "criminal behavior in the territories," and Israel's responsibility for the Second Lebanon War.
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In the last six months, Ontario, Canada's public services union also proposed a similar anti-Israel boycott, as did several professional unions in South Africa. In addition, Britain's University and College Union called upon its members earlier this year to consider an academic boycott of Israel, which would include holding funding from research projects run by Israeli professors and preventing Israeli lecturers from participating in seminars.

Histadrut International activities director Avital Shapira said Sunday afternoon that the Histadrut labor federation views the TGWU's boycott call with severity. According to Shapira, the Histadrut has decided not to cooperate with these unions. "They expect us to help them with everything surrounding joint activities with Palestinian unions, but in light of their behavior toward us, we will hold these activities without them."

The British embassy in Israel issued a response Sunday saying "the British government opposes boycotts of any kind."

"The boycott declared by the Transport and General Workers' Union will not harm the growing commercial relations between the two countries," the statement said.
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  1.   british unions 19:09  |  yehudi pesach 08/07/07
  2.   The EU-Israel Association Trade Agreement could be next.. 19:10  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  3.   Let them start by turning off their computers 19:11  |  Dani 08/07/07
  4.   Duty to respond to boycott 19:12  |  Baruch 08/07/07
  5.   They Should Boycott Themselves 19:16  |  Indra 08/07/07
  6.   They should refrain from using trains also. 19:17  |  Andreas 08/07/07
  7.   British Boycott 19:19  |  Alex Barak 08/07/07
  8.   The word is out 19:24  |  Natallie Durson 08/07/07
  9.   Boycott all things British 19:24  |  Mea 08/07/07
  10.   Incredible 19:24  |  Ron 08/07/07
  11.   These UK people choose to be eveil 19:25  |  Johnny 08/07/07
  12.   3: Daini, they won`t. Just like Camillo, they`re hypocrites 19:26  |  David Teich 08/07/07
  13.   bravo 19:27  |  british unionist 08/07/07
  14.   Please boycott us! 19:27  |  Nik Miller 08/07/07
  15.   Don Camillo: Before Posting.... 19:29  |  Tex 08/07/07
  16.   It`s a start 19:30  |  Boycott 08/07/07
  17.   I will not boycott Israel 19:30  |  James in Sunderland 08/07/07
  18.   To Don Camillo 19:30  |  Fill in the blank 08/07/07
  19.   response to don 19:31  |  shai 08/07/07
  20.   Do they think this is going to save them from the element within? 19:33  |  ThinkAgain 08/07/07
  21.   How Ironic? 19:36  |  Michel Bartov 08/07/07
  22.   #1, 3: Everything will remain as is even without Israel 19:37  |  Son of Abraham 08/07/07
  23.   Mr Barak - selective memory here I think? 19:40  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  24.   Jews are Asleep 19:40  |  Liliane 08/07/07
  25.   British anti-semitism 19:41  |  Bob 08/07/07
  26.   To Baruch in London 19:41  |  A Goy in SE England 08/07/07
  27.   No tears for Britain 19:42  |  semsem 08/07/07
  28.   Don Camillio, #2 19:43  |  FinanceDoc 08/07/07
  29.   British unionist - UK have colonies all over the world 19:43  |  Johnny 08/07/07
  30.   To Natallie -- You hit the nail on the head 19:45  |  Josh 08/07/07
  31.   Eurabia is lost 19:45  |  Robert 08/07/07
  32.   Rabid Idiots 19:45  |  Mary 08/07/07
  33.   How do you d-i-s-g-r-a-c-e 19:48  |  Paul 08/07/07
  34.   boycott 19:48  |  bev 08/07/07
  35.   Don Camillo 19:48  |  david Israel 08/07/07
  36.   Wake up Ms Durson - Israel does this already!! 19:49  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  37.   I would encourage 19:50  |  Isac 08/07/07
  38.   BRITISH LOGIC FLAWED: BOMBED BY MUSLIMS, SO BOYCOTT ISRAEL? 19:51  |  David P 08/07/07
  39.   bravo! 19:52  |  les 08/07/07
  40.   #6 Andreas 19:52  |  Boycott 08/07/07
  41.   Pity the British 19:54  |  SES 08/07/07
  42.   Boycott Israel - what a joke 19:54  |  Nerys 08/07/07
  43.   #16 You make a good point here.. 19:55  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  44.   #12, British Unionist 19:56  |  Appalled 08/07/07
  45.   Boycotting Pals 19:58  |  RM 08/07/07
  46.   Merely Chamberlain-like Appeasing Cowards 20:00  |  Nick 08/07/07
  47.   turn in your cell phones, computers, most of your meds, stop many 20:00  |  ralph 08/07/07
  48.   British Unionist 20:01  |  David Nayir 08/07/07
  49.   create lists of direct and indirect supporters of this boycott th 20:01  |  ralph 08/07/07
  50.   Boycott 20:01  |  Hal Smith 08/07/07
  51.   #4 Baruch 20:02  |  Boycott 08/07/07
  52.   DON CAMILLO ... More Lies 20:04  |  Edward 08/07/07
  53.   British Unions Anti-semitism by boycott 20:04  |  rsaidel@comcast.net 08/07/07
  54.   no more pandering to these people. ban their travel to israel and 20:04  |  ralph 08/07/07
  55.   #2. we jews learned. we do not care for you and your friends look 20:08  |  ralph 08/07/07
  56.   # 2 Don Camillo - EU-Israel Trade Agreement will NOT be next 20:09  |  Paul Henzen 08/07/07
  57.   British Boycotts 20:10  |  RAY 08/07/07
  58.   I love the Brits! 20:11  |  American 08/07/07
  59.   Let the union feed and power Gaza 20:13  |  Yosef 08/07/07
  60.   dani 20:13  |  San Francisco 08/07/07
  61.   #17 Shai - it is the Civil Authority measures - not IDF ones 20:15  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  62.   British PM asks for closer co-operation!!!???? 20:16  |  Lillly 08/07/07
  63.   It is truly disgusting, yes, disgusting that people who have so 20:18  |  Yadi 08/07/07
  64.   They already gave Rushdie a knighthood 20:18  |  zebulonguy 08/07/07
  65.   #13 Tex - as one Israeli Zionist Rabbi recently told me... 20:19  |  Don Camillo 08/07/07
  66.   Well ok then here`s what you do 20:20  |  Steve from Raleigh 08/07/07
  67.   It`s funny to hear jews give themselves credit for everything 20:21  |  Funny Really 08/07/07
  68.   #3 Dani 20:22  |  ballistic 08/07/07
  69.   The British embassy in Israel 20:22  |  Mary 08/07/07
  70.   T&GW 20:23  |  Charles Star 08/07/07
  71.   GOOD 20:23  |  Nina 08/07/07
  72.   though they support arabstinian terrorists 20:24  |  G 08/07/07
  73.   Jaguar, Range-Rover workers, kiss your jobs good-bye 20:25  |  Dr. L. Brnd 08/07/07
  74.   Boycott everything British even tho they don`t make much anymore 20:25  |  Shepherd 08/07/07
  75.   #8 Natalie 20:26  |  Jon 08/07/07
  76.   # 3 dani 20:26  |  Axel 08/07/07
  77.   #13 Tex re Don Camillo 20:28  |  ballistic 08/07/07
  78.   MEA: the occupation is evil, it is an act of rape 20:30  |  KMS 08/07/07
  79.   paul 20:30  |  Ishmael 08/07/07
  80.   Don Camillo, #2 20:31  |  FinanceDoc 08/07/07
  81.   Paul: Isarel is a British product don`t forget that. 20:32  |  ME 08/07/07
  82.   #17 Shai 20:32  |  ballistic 08/07/07
  83.   Brits 20:34 &nbs