Sender Mark Osborn

Date 15 July 2012

To AWL-C
I have just submitte a !itness statement in "onnie #raser$s %ourt %ase a&ainst the
'C'(
)is e*en%e team aske me *or the statement( I may be %alle as a !itness( +he %ase
may %ome to %ourt at the en o* 2012(
"onnie has taken 'C' to %ourt - he$s suin& the union - alle&in& the union
is%riminate a&ainst him be%ause he is Je!ish an ,ro-Israel(
-ave ). a *ormer member o* ours. e/,lains "onnie$s vie! here0
htt,011en&a&eonline(!or,ress(%om120111021011the-ti,,in&-,oint-*or-u%u-avi-hirsh1
"onnie is a lon&stanin& #3 a%tivist( 4oliti%ally he is a so%ial emo%rat an a 5ionist(
+he te/t o* my statement is sim,ly a short re,ort o* a Lonon "e&ion 6at*he meetin& I
attene in 2007( I !rote this at the time. !hi%h in%lues etails o* the meetin&0
htt,011!!!(!orkersliberty(or&1noe17015
+he AWL 6C aske the 3C to ,rou%e a note on the ba%k&roun to this %ase. to be
%ir%ulate amon&st AWL members( +he %ommittee !as %on%erne that this may
be%ome an issue on the le*t. an our members may be %hallen&e by 8W4ers(
We are not in *avour o* brin&in& the %ourts into the labour movement( It !as not our
e%ision to use the %ourts( +he only %hoi%e !e ha !as !hether or not to &ive
evien%e( 8in%e no ,rin%i,le is bein& ama&e. the 6C a&ree that I shoul restate
!hat ha,,ene at the 2007 meetin& *or "onnie$s la!yers(
6o oubt &rou,s like the 8W4 !ill not be shy about &ivin& evien%e a&ainst "onnie( I*
they atta%k us about use o* the %ourts the real reason !ill be be%ause they isa&ree
!ith !hat !e say - !e$ll be on i9erent sies(
+he *a%t is - althou&h "onnie$s metho is not ours - his basi% %ase. that Je!ish
members have ha a har time in 6at*he1'C'. is ri&ht( Many have resi&ne in ,rotest
at the 'C' :le*t$s: ;/ation !ith Israel. an Je!-baitin& resse u, as anti-5ionism( We
o,,ose resi&nations. but *rom the ,oint o* vie! o* bein& sym,atheti% to Je!ish
members !ho *eel ,i%ke on <they have been=(
I !ante to &ive evien%e be%ause I !ant "onnie to !in his %ase> an. the other !ay
u,. I %ertainly on$t !ant him to lose( +here is a real ,roblem in the union( An. i* his
o,,onents !in. the 8W4 et% !ill have !on a vi%tory an *eel embolene(
When takin& u, these issues it is im,ortant %omraes on$t s?uirm about@
Aes an AWL member is &ivin& evien%e( WhyB Ce%ause !e o,,ose the emonisation o*
Israel an 5ionism in the Critish unions an its im,a%t on Je!ish !orkers(