Civil servant firebrands spark fury by accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing – as they also claim Palestinians will ‘inevitably resist’ their ‘oppression’

Civil servant activists have sparked outrage by accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Public sector trade union members have also claimed Palestinians will ‘inevitably resist’ their ‘oppression’ by Israel and so it should be replaced by a secular state.

Some are demanding not only an arms embargo on the country but also the right to refuse to work on any UK arms trade activity with the Israeli Defence Forces.

One branch of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union claimed flying the Israeli flag from official buildings is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘detrimental’ to Muslim staff.

Their controversial remarks have been made in official motions that could be debated and voted on at the union’s annual conference starting in Brighton today. 

Last night they were condemned by leading campaigners.

Former Labour MP Lord Austin of Dudley said: ‘It is very worrying to see civil servants who are supposed to be impartial and implement government policy singling out one of our closest allies for such one-sided criticism.’ Pictured: The flag of Israel is projected onto the front facade of 10 Downing Street after October 7

Public sector trade union members have also claimed Palestinians will ‘inevitably resist’ their ‘oppression’ by Israel and so it should be replaced by a secular state.

Lord Mann, the Government’s independent adviser on anti-Semitism, told the Mail: ‘This has got nothing to do with their members whatsoever – it is self-indulgent.

‘If I was a member of that union, I would wonder why this is even getting on the conference agenda.’

Former Labour MP Lord Austin of Dudley said: ‘It is very worrying to see civil servants who are supposed to be impartial and implement government policy singling out one of our closest allies for such one-sided criticism.

‘Iran is at war with the West, Israel is on the frontline and we should be doing all we can to support them in dealing with the terrorists and releasing the hostages.’

Conservative MP Andrew Percy said: ‘The flag of Israel was flown on buildings in the UK following the Hamas attacks of October 7.

‘If the PCS is offended by the Government choosing to mark those horrors, I’m afraid the PCS is a sick and twisted organisation.

‘I am sure every civil servant, of all religions and none, would have been utterly horrified by the rape and butchery committed by Palestinian terrorists on October 7.’

In total there are 115 references to Israel in the conference agenda report, compared with six to Russia and three to Iran.

A dozen motions attack Israel’s response to October 7 but just four specifically condemn Hamas in similar terms and only one refers to the hostages still held by the terrorist group.

One of the most outspoken, tabled by a HM Revenue & Customs branch in Bristol and Reading, calls for PCS delegates to condemn ‘these crimes against humanity, war crimes and the genocidal strategy of Israel’.

Conservative MP Andrew Percy said: ‘If the PCS is offended by the Government choosing to mark those horrors [that occurred on 7 October], I’m afraid the PCS is a sick and twisted organisation’

One of the most outspoken motions, tabled by a HM Revenue & Customs branch in Bristol and Reading, calls for PCS delegates to condemn ‘these crimes against humanity, war crimes and the genocidal strategy of Israel’

It wants the union to ‘build our presence in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s protests’.

The branch also calls for members working in firms or departments involved in the arms trade to be identified then helped ‘to refuse to produce, facilitate or transport goods or services in such trade with Israel’.

Another motion tabled by members in the Independent Office for Police Conduct calls on delegates to agree ‘the Israeli government is guilty of war crimes and ethnic cleansing’.

It says there can only be peace in the Middle East with a ‘single democratic secular state’. 

The motion adds: ‘The current state of Israel cannot offer security for Jews as its existence is dependent on continued oppression of the Palestinian people who will inevitably resist.’

A motion by a Ministry of Justice branch said flying Israeli flags on government buildings was ‘unacceptable as it contradicts the role of civil service impartiality’ and was ‘detrimental to our Muslim employees’.

Last night the PCS said this motion had been ruled inadmissible.