By Educators for Palestine - NEA (Follow us on Instagram)
Since October 7, Israel has intensified its war on the Palestinian people, violating international law, displacing millions and killing tens of thousands of civilians, destroying entire neighborhoods, bombing hospitals, schools, and children. President Biden and his administration have been complicit in this humanitarian crisis, voting against numerous UN ceasefire measures, ignoring UN experts' characterization of the events unfolding as a genocide, and ramping up weapons sales without oversight to Israel.
Additionally, President Biden has indicated a willingness to support a new law allowing US border officials to expel migrants without processing their asylum claims in exchange for congressional support for sending $14 billion dollars of military aid to Israel. This behavior overwhelmingly violates NEA's core values related to justice. As other unions are acting in solidarity with the call from Palestinian trade unions for a ceasefire, NEA is increasingly isolating itself from the labor movement.
Therefore, we call on NEA to revoke our endorsement of President Biden until the following conditions have been met. Furthermore, until NEA takes this step, we pledge to withhold future NEA PAC donations.
In order for President Biden to earn back his NEA endorsement, the following must first occur:
1. A permanent ceasefire!
2. Stop sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.
3. Use diplomatic pressure to end Israel's blockade/siege of Gaza and settlement activity in the West Bank, to stop Israel's killing of journalists, and to secure the release of all political prisoners and hostages .
4. Commit to demanding that Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights, including ending the occupation and dismantling of the illegal apartheid wall, equal rights for all Palestinians, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees, as called for by Palestinian civil society.
5. Commit to a fair due process for asylum-seekers and refugees that follows international law, de-militarizing the border, stopping all further building of the border wall, permanently closing open-air detention centers, expanding shelters, work permits, relocation support and legal pathways to citizenship (such as DACA), ending a foreign policy that creates the economic and political instability making migration necessary, and not compromising on these commitments in exchange for military aid to Israel.
