A group of seven major labor unions has called upon President Joe Biden to stop sending military aid to Israel and work toward “an immediate and permanent cease-fire” for the war in Gaza.
The unions, almost all of which publicly backed Biden during his 2020 campaign, laid out their demands in a joint letter sent to the White House on Tuesday, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress.
They wrote that the three-phase cease-fire plan Biden outlined in late May had not been accepted by either Israel or Hamas, the militant group whose Oct. 7 attack killed roughly 1,200 Israelis. Netanyahu, they added, had “publicly refused key elements of the deal.”
“[I]t is clear that the Israeli government will continue to pursue its vicious response to the horrific attacks of October 7th until it is forced to stop,” the unions wrote. “We believe that immediately cutting US military aid to the Israeli government is necessary to bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict.”
At least 39,000 people have died since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza more than nine months ago, according to Palestinian health officials.
The unions said the humanitarian crisis “deepens by the day,” with “famine, mass displacement, and destruction of basic infrastructure.”
“We have spoken directly to leaders of Palestinian trade unions who told us heart wrenching stories of the conditions faced by working people in Gaza,” they wrote.
The seven unions that signed the letter represent millions of workers across the U.S. economy:
- the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)
- the American Postal Workers Union (APWU)
- the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
- the National Education Association (NEA)
- the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- the United Auto Workers (UAW)
- the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE)
Netanyahu is hoping to shore up U.S. support for the Israeli military campaign as pressure increases on him to reach a lasting cease-fire and bring dozens of hostages home. Biden has faced growing criticism from the left for his support of Israel as the death toll in Gaza has climbed.
Dozens of Democrats are expected to skip Netanyahu’s joint address on Wednesday. Vice President Kamala Harris will not preside over the speech as a vice president typically would; she is expected to instead be on the campaign trail as she tries to solidify support to replace Biden atop the Democratic ticket.
Netanyahu said Monday that his trip to Washington would be an opportunity to thank Biden for his support.
“I will seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “In this time of war and uncertainty, it’s important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow and always.”