Seven major US labor unions call on Biden to ‘shut off military aid to Israel’

Seven major US labor unions representing about 6 million workers sent a letter to Joe Biden on Tuesday calling on his administration to “immediately halt all military aid to Israel” ahead of a visit to the US from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, this week.

The unions that signed on to the letter include the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), International Union of Painters (IUPAT), National Education Association (NEA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Auto Workers (UAW) and United Electrical Workers (UE).

“Our unions are hearing the cries of humanity as this vicious war continues,” said Mark Dimondstein, the APWU president, in a press release. “Working people and our unions are horrified that our tax dollars are financing this ongoing tragedy. We need a ceasefire now, and the best way to secure that is to shut off US military aid to Israel.”

In the letter, the unions expressed concerns that the US president’s three-part ceasefire plan announced in May 2024 has not been fully accepted as violence in Gaza has persisted.

“Large numbers of Palestinian civilians, many of them children, continue to be killed, reportedly often with US-manufactured bombs. Rising tensions in the region threaten to ensnare even more innocent civilians in a wider war. And the humanitarian crisis deepens by the day, with famine, mass displacement, and destruction of basic infrastructure including schools and hospitals. We have spoken directly to leaders of Palestinian trade unions who told us heart-wrenching stories of the conditions faced by working people in Gaza,” wrote the unions in the letter.

“The time to act decisively to end this war is now. Stopping US military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what US law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region.”

Earlier this year, US labor unions launched the National Labor Network for Ceasefire, which has been signed by dozens of local unions around the US, including the letter signatories and National Nurses United.

The letter comes as activists are planning protest demonstrations in Washington DC this week over Netanyahu’s visit, his first to the US since 7 October. Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Washington DC to call for an end to the US aid to Israel that has been fueling the war in Gaza.