Seven national labor unions have sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for an immediate halt to U.S. military aid to Israel to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The letter was sent member unions of the National Labor Network for Ceasefire, including the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), National Nurses United (NNU), the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the National Education Association (NEA), United Auto Workers (UAW), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and United Electrical Workers (UE).
The network said the seven unions represent a combined membership of “nearly half of all union members” in the United States, some six million workers.
Their letter expresses disappointment in the Biden administration’s inability to secure a ceasefire agreement, especially after Biden in May touted a three-phase ceasefire proposal which has yet to materialize.
“We believe that immediately cutting U.S. military aid to the Israeli government is necessary to bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” the letter states.
It warns that rising “tensions in the region threaten to ensnare even more innocent civilians in a wider war” and that “the humanitarian crisis deepens by the day, with famine, mass displacement, and the destruction of basic infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.”
The labor network noted it has spoken with leaders of Palestinian trade unions who’ve relayed “heart-wrenching stories” of the conditions in Gaza.
“Mr. President, the time to act decisively to end this war is now,” the letter states. “Stopping U.S. military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what U.S. law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region.”
Unions are also set to demonstrate against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24.
Netanyahu’s visit to the United States comes amid calls for him to be arrested for war crimes in Gaza. The Health Ministry in Gaza says that over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed there since October.
However, a recent report from The Lancet said “it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.” Such an estimate would account for 7-9% of Gaza’s population.
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