NAACP urges Biden to stop sending weapons to Israel and help end war in Gaza

The NAACP, in a new letter, called on President Joe Biden to stop sending weapons to Israel and use U.S. influence to end the war in Gaza.

The civil rights organization's letter comes days after Biden said on May 31 that Israel had proposed a new ceasefire plan and urged Hamas to accept it, saying: “It It's time for this war to end and the next day to begin. He said in his surprise announcement that he was presenting a truce proposal from Israel that had been passed to Hamas.

“The Biden administration’s most recent statement is helpful but does not go far enough,” NAACP officials said in a statement. “It is one thing to call for a ceasefire, it is another to take the necessary steps to work towards liberation for all. It is imperative that the violence that has cost so many civilian lives ends immediately.

Biden-Harris campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika said in an emailed statement: “The President shares the goal of ending violence and establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. , and he works tirelessly towards this end. »

“The stakes in this election could not be higher, and with our communities, our democracy and our freedoms at stake, our campaign is working to earn – not ask for – every vote,” she said.

More than 36,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, since Israel launched its offensive following the Hamas attacks on October 7. Nearly 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, the Associated Press reported. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel in April, according to the AP. Israeli officials said about 120 people were still held captive in Gaza, and at least a third of them were believed to be dead.

Diminishing support for Biden among black voters is increasingly emerging as a factor in the national debate over his support for Israel. Black communities played a key role in Biden's 2020 victory, with 92% of Black people supporting Biden over Donald Trump. Now, nearly four years later, 77% of Black voters say they would vote for Biden. Even as the war between Israel and Gaza becomes increasingly important to black voters, economic concerns are the group's top concern when determining how they will vote in the November election, according to NPR.

Earlier this year, more than 1,000 black pastors from churches across the country, led by their young parishioners, signed an open letter calling on Biden to push for a ceasefire, a reported the New York Times. They also called on Hamas to release all hostages and for Israel to end its occupation of the West Bank. Like the NAACP, pastors warned that Biden's support for Israel could hamper him in the election.

Biden has faced increased pressure in recent months from politicians, students, activists and others to secure a cease-fire and reverse financial support for the Israeli war effort.

In an April poll by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 68 percent of Black Americans said they wanted the United States to support a permanent ceasefire. The number of Black Americans saying they feel connected to the plight of the Palestinians increased from 32% in October to 45% in April. A previous poll found that while Americans tend to support Israel overall, a majority of black Americans surveyed reject the idea of ​​showing “unwavering support” for Israel and sympathize more with Gaza than other racial groups surveyed.

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