US trade unionists are often told to keep quiet and remain neutral on Palestine because “Palestine has nothing to do with unions” and “weighing in” only distracts from struggles for better working conditions. 

Join Jeff Schuhrke, Sarah Lazare, Nesreen Hasan in conversation about Schuhrke latest book No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine. A book that convincingly demonstrates that unions in the United States have never been silent or neutral on the question of Palestine. In fact, they have played a key role—in the initial Zionist colonization of Palestine, the foundation of the Israeli state in 1948, supporting US foreign policy commitments to Israel, and the ongoing suppression of the Palestinian liberation movement.

Schuhrke conclusively shows that US unions helped build and maintain the state of Israel, and also shines a light on important exceptions to this rule: instances of US labor solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle that point the way forward for today’s labor movement.

***This in person event will be live-streamed through Haymarket Books. Register through Ticket Tailor to receive a link to the video conference on the day of the event. We ask that all in-person attendees wear masks in the event space during the program for the health and well-being of the speaker and other guests. We will have a reception afterwards with light refreshments and books available for purchase.***

Speakers:

Jeff Schuhrke is a labor historian and assistant professor at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies, SUNY Empire State University. He is the author of Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor’s Global Anticommunist Crusade. His writing appears frequently in Jacobin, In These Times, Jewish Currents, and Labor Notes.

Sarah Lazare is a journalist, focusing on labor and US militarism, and editor of Workday Magazine.

Nesreen Hasan was born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago to a Palestinian family. She graduated from Governors State University, majoring in Criminology and minoring in Social Work. She finished her MA in Social Work from the UIC Jane Addams School of Social Work.

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