A coalition of a dozen liberal groups and labor unions sent a letter to the White House Thursday night urging President Biden to halt military aid to Israel until the government lifts restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza. demanded. This is the latest indicator of a shift in mainstream Democratic opinion on Gaza. war.
The group includes progressive groups like MoveOn and the Working Families Party, as well as the mainstream American Progressive Democratic Center and billionaire Tom Steyer, who ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary. It also includes NextGen America, the organization it founded and funded. Other signatories to the letter include the Service Employees International Union and the National Education Association, labor unions that make up key elements of the Democratic Party.
The letter asks Biden to implement the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits military aid to countries that limit the provision of humanitarian aid.
“This sends a clear message that the Netanyahu government is not above the law and that the United States will not stand by while the war continues to kill innocent Palestinians and escalate across the region. “,” the letter says, referring to the Israeli prime minister. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. “U.S. law is clear: Countries that obstruct U.S. humanitarian assistance cannot receive U.S. military assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act or the Arms Export Control Act.”
Cristina Zintzún Ramirez, president of NextGen America, which focuses on increasing voter turnout among young people, said that unless there are major changes in the U.S. situation, Biden is at risk of losing support from key parts of the Democratic coalition. Stated. Attitudes towards the war in Gaza.
“We are concerned about the humanitarian and moral consequences and the political survival of the regime,” Tzintzún RamÃrez said. “We've seen a surge in young people saying they care about foreign policy and these issues in a way we haven't seen in history.”
Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that he could withhold aid to Israel unless the United States does more to protect civilians and ensure adequate supplies to Gaza. And since then, the president has reiterated that getting more aid to Gaza is a priority.
“They need to do more,” Biden said of the Israeli government and Netanyahu at a news conference Wednesday. “Another opening must be opened in the north. Let us therefore see what he will do in terms of fulfilling the promise he has made to me.”
The White House and Biden campaign declined to comment on the letter.
The letter adds to pressure from across the Democratic Party on Biden as Israel's war in Gaza enters its seventh month. More than 33,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities. In Israel, Hamas militants launched a conflict-inciting attack on October 7 that left around 1,200 people dead.