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This book explores the British Labour Party and the trade unions and how their relationship with the Jews of Palestine and Israel has evolved over the past one hundred years. It also reflects the changing attitudes of the Labour Party and the unions towards the persecution of the Jews, a Jewish homeland in Palestine, Israel and antisemitism. An in-depth examination of critical events in European and Middle East history reveals the links between British unions and their Israeli union counterpart, the Histadrut (General Federation of Labour), and sets out the circumstances in which the unions went from backing the Labour Party's 1917 war aims declaration, which called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, through to the present day, which sees the unions promoting campaigns for boycotts and sanctions against the State of Israel.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. 1917-1948: The Early Years.- 3. 1948 -1960: The Years of Indifference.- 4. 1960-1973: The Golden Years for TUC-Histadrut Cooperation.- 5. 1973-1982: The Move to Outright Criticism of Israel.- 6. 1985-2020: Changing Sides.- 7. Conclusion.
About the author
Ronnie Fraser is a retired Mathematics Lecturer who founded the Academic Friends of Israel, which campaigns against the academic boycott of Israel and antisemitism on campus. He was awarded his Doctorate by Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.
Report
"Fraser has lived this issue, but he manages admirably in his new book to step back and take a detached, academic and thoroughly researched and sourced look at the historical ups and downs of the relationship between British trade unions and Israel. ... Fraser has pulled together a treasure trove of material and crafted a convincing narrative from it. ... I suspect the book will be read even by some of the most fervent anti-Zionists in the union movement, as it is their history too." (fathom, fathomjournal.org, February, 2023)
