“I’ve always been committed to peace and justice in the Middle East and going on the recent Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA study tour to the region has driven home to me that the daily sufferings of the Palestinian people – as workers, women, refugees, children, families and communities under occupation – requires us as unionists to organise support and solidarity.  This new AUSPalestine network is our initiative to get the truth out to Australian workers.  We owe at least this much to the workers and people we met during our visit.”
- Sally McManus, Branch Secretary, Australian Services Union NSW & ACT (Services) Branch. (April 2010)

“This issue and conflict has been a passion for me for over 30 years and having just travelled with the Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA union delegation in March this year I know how urgently we need to act. The situation in Palestine and Gaza in particular is much worse and deteriorating rapidly and as unionists we must act now to ensure that peaceful options are not lost. Palestinian workers and their families are suffering very badly as a result of the Separation Wall and the encroaching illegal settlements. All of the workers and unions and community organisations asked for our help and support. This new AUSPalestine network enables you to keep in touch with events and to get more factual information than what we are being served up by the mainstream media.”
- Kim Sattler, Secretary, Unions ACT. (April 2010)

“As a lifelong supporter of the Palestinian struggle for national liberation I am particularly glad to see this initiative taking place. The Israeli military campaigns against the peoples of Lebanon and Gaza, and the ongoing blockade of Gaza, have brought about a wider international awareness of the fundamentally unjust and brutal occupation of Palestine by Zionism. Even the media are no longer only reflecting Israeli Zionist propaganda. Now is the time to push harder. There is hope.”
- Michael Schembri, Organiser, Finance Sector Union NSW Branch. (May 2010)

“Travelling to the region with Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA underlined our collective concerns for the plight of the Palestinian people and the ever decreasing prospects of peace through ‘facts on the ground’- with illegal Israeli settlements, house demolitions, Gaza blockade, annexation of Palestinian resources and the separation barrier having a devastating humanitarian and economic affect on Palestinian workers and their families. Sadly, sections of the Australian media fail to report the full facts and therefore give a distorted view that affects the understanding of this issue by many fellow unionists, Parliamentarians and members of the community. Palestinian workers suffer discriminatory employment practises and have few rights inside the Israeli illegal settlements. We believe the upholding of international law and UN resolutions as central to resolving the issue and that a just and viable two state solution is in the interests of both Palestinian and Israeli workers. The call for help and support from workers, unions, NGOs and Palestinian refugees was consistent with the words ‘please do not forget us’. In addition they sought support for the call of a BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign against (at a minimum) the illegal settlements and those who are involved in their construction and expansion. This new AUSPalestine network initiative will enable unions and unionists to receive up to date and factual accounts about Palestine, the sharing of information and opportunities to collectively support fundraising and campaign activities.”
- David Forde,  Member, Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union – Construction & General Div. (Queensland); and Australian Services Union
- Wendy Turner, Life Member, Australian Services Union & Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union (Queensland)
- Evan Moorhead MP, Member, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (Queensland)
Co-convenors Labor4AJust Palestine (Queensland) (May 2010)

“The CFMEU is very pleased to see that Australian unions are becoming more active in calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and for equal treatment of Arabs in Israel. The launch of AUSPalestine I hope will herald a new level of engagement between the labour movement, the Palestinian community in Australia and the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The CFMEU has recently endorsed the international campaign for the boycott of products coming from the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We hope that other Australian unions, civil society and faith based groups will embrace this boycott call. We also believe these groups should join together to pressure our Government into more strongly advocating for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and a just resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue. The CFMEU has long been a friend of Palestine and we look forward to working with AUSPalestine for a viable, secure Palestine in accordance with international law.”
- John Sutton, National Secretary, Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union – National Office (June 2010)

“All strength to AUSPalestine in bringing the horror of the Gaza blockade and the Israeli Occupation of Palestine to the attention of union members, peace with justice will prevail for Palestine!”
- Sean Marshall, National Research/Policy Officer, Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union – National Office (June 2010)