NAACP calls on Biden to halt arms transfers to Israel in response to the Gaza conflict, labeling the request as ‘historic
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called on President Joe Biden to “indefinitely” suspend weapon transfers to Israel in a sign of growing discontent with the U.S. president’s support for the Israeli war on Gaza and activists who are concerned about the humanitarian impact of the conflict on the Palestinian population.
The recent escalation in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has resulted in significant casualties and destruction, so by responding to this on Thursday, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the group has a “responsibility to speak out in the face of injustice and work to hold our elected officials accountable for the promises they’ve made”.
The conflict has its roots in long-standing tensions between Israel and Hamas, the governing body in Gaza and the Middle East conflict will only be resolved when the U.S. government and international community take action, including limiting access to weapons used against civilians,” Johnson said.
The NAACP’s call is noteworthy due to the organization’s historic focus on civil rights within the United States and to draw the red line and indefinitely end the shipment of weapons and artillery to the state of Israel and other states that supply weapons to Hamas”, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza.
Thursday’s statement has come as a public opinion by extending its advocacy to international issues, the NAACP underscores the universal nature of its mission for justice and equality, and it showed Biden losing support from young voters and people of color over his unwavering support for Israel.
The United States has long been a critical ally of Israel, providing substantial military aid and advanced weaponry, including recent deadly assaults on Rafah and a United Nations school-turned-shelter in central Gaza – the U.S. president has maintained staunch support for the top ally.
Hatem Abudayyeh, chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) advocacy group, said Thursday’s call by the NAACP for Biden to end arms shipments to Israel was unsurprising given historical ties between the Black and Palestinian liberation movements as the latest conflict has worsened conditions, with reports of significant civilian casualties, infrastructure destruction, and shortages of essential supplies such as water, food, and medical care.
The call from the NAACP is part of a growing chorus of voices urging a reassessment of U.S. policy in the Middle East and to heed these calls from the majority of the people in the U.S. and turn off the tap of money, weapons, and political support to the criminal apartheid state of Israel,” is the responsibility of Biden Abudayyeh said.
As of now, the Biden administration has reaffirmed its support for Israel’s right to defend itself while also expressing concern over the civilian casualties in Gaza, but the NAACP has long avoided weighing in. It speaks of Palestine in humanitarian terms and political terms, calling for liberation, said Zahr.
In a statement, the NAACP warned that a continued Israeli war on Gaza could have repercussions in the U.S., as well as another new poll, released on Thursday by GenForward at the University of Chicago, showed that only 33 percent of Black voters aged 18 to 40 said they would vote for Biden if the election were held today. Twenty-three per cent said they would vote for Trump.
