By Jarrett Renshaw and Kat Stafford
(Reuters) – The NAACP on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to “indefinitely” halt all arms shipments to Israel and pressure the U.S. ally to end its war in the Gaza Strip, recalling that his support for Israel could hurt him among black voters. in the November elections.
The NAACP’s call was a rare example of the influential civil rights organization taking a stand on U.S. foreign policy toward a country without a significant black population. It seemed likely that the Democratic president’s troubles would worsen during the election year, as he tries to shore up a key ally abroad and calm unrest among his supporters at home.
The 115-year-old civil rights organization said Israel has the right to defend itself after Hamas militant attacks on Oct. 7, which Israel said killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
The NAACP urged Hamas to return the hostages and “cease all terrorist activities.” It also called on Israel to commit to an offensive strategy that is in line with international and humanitarian law. Israel is accused at the International Court of Justice of violating the genocide convention, which it denies.
The NAACP, which has advocated for racial justice and rights for black Americans, said the US should use its influence with Israel to bring a permanent ceasefire to Gaza. According to health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, caused widespread hunger and driven most of the population from their homes.
“The NAACP calls on President Biden to draw the red line and indefinitely end the shipment of all weapons and artillery to the State of Israel and other states that supply weapons to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. It is imperative that the violence that this claims is killing civilian lives stops immediately,” the organization said in a statement first provided to Reuters.
The NAACP’s position represents the latest warning sign that Biden will have to pay a price among black voters at the ballot box on November 5 for his staunch support of Israel.
Black voters have long been a loyal Democratic constituency, and they played a major role in Biden’s 2020 victory as he defeated Republican Donald Trump, whom he faces again this year. But polls show a lack of enthusiasm for Biden among black voters.
Earlier this year, a group of more than a thousand black pastors called on Biden to broker a ceasefire in the crisis.
A March poll by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that 59% of black Americans believe U.S. military aid to Israel should be used only for self-defense and in accordance with human rights standards.
Biden’s reelection campaign is less concerned that black voters will shift toward Trump than that too many of them may sit out the election due to a lack of enthusiasm, campaign officials have told Reuters.
Following mounting domestic pressure and international outrage, Biden last month halted a shipment of bombs to prevent their possible use in Israel’s attack on the Gaza city of Rafah. But the break was limited and the US remains the main supplier of military aid to Israel.
Biden said Friday that Israel has proposed a new ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages. He called on Hamas to agree to the new offer, saying it was the best way to end the conflict. “It’s time for this war to end and the next day to begin,” Biden said.
NAACP LEADER CALLS FOR US MORAL LEADERSHIP
In an interview with Reuters, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the US must show moral leadership and stop sending weapons to Israel over civilian deaths. Israel says it is ensuring there are no civilian casualties and blames Hamas for hiding its fighters and command centers among civilians.
Johnson said the NAACP’s decision to speak out was partly motivated by young black Americans who were shocked by the images of dead Palestinian civilians on their smartphones.
“It raises a lot of questions about why our tax dollars are being used to harm citizens,” Johnson said.
Democrats are deeply divided over Biden’s handling of both the war in Gaza and the US campus protests against it, a May Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
About 44% of Democratic registered voters said they disapproved of Biden’s handling of the crisis. Those who disapproved were less likely to say they would vote for Biden.
The conflict has also fueled anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia in the US, which Johnson said will continue to rise as the fighting continues. Human rights advocates have reported a global increase in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian prejudice and anti-Semitism since October 7.
Johnson said the NAACP does not believe Biden’s support for Israel is responsible for this trend, but wants the U.S. to more vigorously promote peace by withholding weapons.
“We believe it is the responsibility of this nation to chart a course to de-escalate what we are seeing so that there can be a peaceful resolution,” Johnson said.
(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Kat Stafford; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
