This week, in what has become a familiar pattern, US government officials and mainstream news outlets are going out of their way to minimize or ignore the suffering of Palestinians facing state violence, racist attacks, and ethnic cleansing at the hands of Israel. In contrast, the leader of the world’s largest alliance of labor unions released a statement on Tuesday saying it was “heartbreaking to see Palestinian families being thrown out of their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.”

“Yet again,” continued Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), “the unjust and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands, and the perpetuation of the occupation of Palestine by Israel, are the root cause” of recent violence.

The ITUC is comprised of over 300 national trade union centers from 167 countries, including the AFL-CIO. Many ITUC affiliates around the globe have spoken up for Palestine and joined the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.