Washington: In a reminder that his backing for Israel could damage him among Black voters in November’s election, a civil rights organization called President Joe Biden on Thursday to “indefinitely” halt all weapons transfers to Israel and put pressure on the US ally to stop its shelling of the Gaza Strip.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) request was an unusual example of a powerful organization voicing an opinion on US foreign policy toward a nation where the black population is not appreciably represented.
It looked like it would make the Democratic president’s election-year struggles even more difficult as he seeks to defend a crucial ally overseas and quell discontent among his supporters at home.
The NAACP demanded that Israel “commit to an offensive strategy that is aligned with international and humanitarian laws” and that Hamas release the Israeli captives.
The NAACP, which has fought for Black Americans’ rights and racial justice, declared that the US needs to utilize its clout with Israel to force a long-term ceasefire in Gaza.
The NAACP demands that President Biden draw a line in the sand and stop sending any kind of weaponry or weaponry to Israel or any other country that provides weapons to Hamas or other terrorist groups.
The group released a statement saying, “It is imperative that the violence that has claimed so many civilian lives, immediately stop.”
The NAACP position is the most recent indication that Black voters may punish Biden for his ardent backing of Israel on November 5 at the polls.
Although Black voters have historically supported Democrats and were crucial to Biden’s victory over Republican Donald Trump in 2020—whom he will face again this year—polls reveal that Black voters are not very enthusiastic about Biden.
More than a thousand Black pastors urged Biden to negotiate a cease-fire in the conflict earlier this year.
According to a March Carnegie Endowment for International Peace survey, 59% of African Americans think that US military assistance to Israel should only be used for self-defense and in compliance with human rights laws.
Campaign officials for Biden’s reelection said they are more worried about too many black voters staying home because they are not excited about the election than they are about black votes switching to Trump.
Biden stopped a shipment of explosives this month to prevent their potential use in Israel’s attack on the Gaza city of Rafah, in response to mounting domestic pressure and worldwide criticism. However, the break was brief, and the US continues to be Israel’s principal source of military assistance.
According to Biden, Israel suggested last week that a new truce in Gaza be implemented in return for the release of prisoners. Declaring that this fresh offer was the best means of bringing the conflict to a conclusion, he urged Hamas to accept it.
moral guidance
Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, stated in an interview that because civilian casualties have occurred, the US must take moral responsibility and cease supplying weapons to Israel.
Johnson claimed that young Black Americans appalled by the pictures of dead Palestinian civilians on their iPhones had a major role in the NAACP’s decision to speak out.
Johnson stated, “It raises a lot of questions about why our tax dollars are being used to harm civilians.”
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Democrats are sharply split by Biden’s handling of the Gaza issue and the anti-Gaza rallies on US campuses.
