Hamas forces in Gaza (Source: AFP)

From the blog of TULIP — Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (UK):

The contrast could not be clearer: in Israel, independent trade unions that sometimes cooperate with, sometimes confront the government. In areas controlled by the pro-Iranian Hamas, unions under the thumb of an authoritarian regime.

This week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemned the actions of the Hamas regime in Gaza. In a statement published on their website six days ago, the IFJ “accused Hamas security forces of harassing elected officials of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) in Gaza. In a letter to Ismael Haniyeh, Prime Minister in the Hamas government, the IFJ President said that journalists’ leaders in Gaza have been subjected to a campaign of intimidation and threats designed to force them to stop their union work. Some of them are now facing charges of illegal activities and a travel ban after they refused to give in to pressure.”

Read the IFJ’s full statement. Not at all surprising, but definitely worth publicising. Palestinians won’t go anywhere as long as Hamas imposes such anti-democratic, tyrannical rules on them.