The US Labor Movement Calls for a Halt to US Military Aid
to Bring a Ceasefire to the Region

When the National Labor Network for Ceasefire was formed it was on the basis of agreement to a statement that made a number of core demands:

• An immediate ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
• Restoration of basic human rights.
• Immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas.
• Unimpeded full access for humanitarian aid.
• Our president calling for a permanent ceasefire.

In the more than a year since, it has become clear that these demands will never be met so long as the U.S. government continues to provide open-ended military aid to Israel. The unchecked supply of weapons has led to the expansion of the conflict to multiple countries and is drawing the US into a growing regional war.

For this reason, NLNC is issuing a new statement that, in addition to its original demands, calls upon the U.S. government to end all military aid to Israel.

• There must be a ceasefire in Gaza, and the fundamental rights of people must be
  restored.
• The hostages taken by Hamas must be immediately released, along with the
  release of Palestinian prisoners of war.
• To achieve these ends, the U.S. Government must halt military aid to Israel
  immediately.

Ten national unions and more than 250 local and regional labor organizations endorsed the original statement. Together this represents more than half of all union members in the U.S. The labor movement spoke out and its position was widely covered in the media.

IT IS TIME FOR US TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN!

We urge unions and other labor organizations to endorse this new statement, and encourage their members and allies to also sign on as individuals. Together we can make a powerful statement on behalf of organized labor and help to build the movement to bring this terrible conflict to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The US Labor Movement Calls for a Halt to US Military Aid
to Bring a Ceasefire to the Region

We, members of the American labor movement, mourn the loss of life in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. We express our solidarity with all workers and a shared desire for peace in Palestine and Israel and condemn all acts of hate committed against Muslims, Jews, or anyone else. We call on the President and Congress to uphold U.S. and international law and halt lethal military aid to the Israeli government to secure an immediate ceasefire that releases the hostages, ends the violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and prevents further escalation in the region. The Israeli government cannot bomb its way to peace. With this call, U.S. unions join the voices of more than 90 members of Congress, a majority of the American people, and others calling for an immediate ceasefire.

There must be a ceasefire in Gaza, and the fundamental rights of people must be restored. Humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza, power must be restored, the rebuilding of infrastructure must begin, and those requiring medical care must be allowed out of Gaza to get the help they desperately need.

The hostages taken by Hamas must be immediately released, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners of war. Both Hamas and the Israeli government must adhere to standards of international law and the Geneva Convention provisions concerning the welfare and security of civilians and prisoners of war.

To achieve these ends, the U.S. Government must halt military aid to Israel immediately. The U.S. government is supplying Israel with arms worth billions of dollars (more than $22 billion in direct and indirect aid in 2024 alone) that are being used in violation of U.S. and international law to target civilian populations. The Israeli military has made Gaza uninhabitable — damaging two-thirds of its buildings, disrupting the livelihoods of more than 2 million people, and killing more than 43,500 people.

Palestinians in Gaza face famine and preventable diseases as the Israeli government has restricted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The death toll includes many of our union siblings, including hundreds of healthcare workers, media workers, engineers, and civil servants killed on the job.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right ministers have refused repeated attempts to negotiate a ceasefire and have made it clear they will not stop the killing until they are forced to. Netanyahu is enabled by the continuous supply of weapons predominantly from the United States, the Israeli government’s largest and most important source of arms and military aid.

The unchecked supply of weapons has emboldened Netanyahu to expand the conflict to multiple countries and is drawing the U.S. into a growing regional war. To obtain a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of hostages, and de-escalate the regional conflict, the transfer of this destructive U.S. military aid must be halted. The U.S. is the only country with sufficient leverage to pressure Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire, which will make possible the release of hostages and reopen the flow of humanitarian aid.

The U.S. must act. The U.S. government bears great responsibility. We call on the President to immediately halt lethal U.S. military aid to Israel and to escalate its call for a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli government.

The escalation of war and arms sales does not serve the interests of workers. Workers everywhere want a place to call home and for our families to be safe. Working people around the world deserve to live free from the effects of violence, war, and militarism.

The labor movement calls on the President and Congress to hear our voices. We demand a ceasefire and a halt to the U.S. military aid enabling the devastation in the Middle East. Together, we can stand for peace, justice, and a better future for working people everywhere.

Please individually sign and organizationally endorse this call
for a halt to US Military Aid to Israel to bring a ceasefire to the region.