Exclusive-NAACP Urges Biden to Suspend Guns to Israel as It Seeks to Bolster Support from Black Voters

By Jarrett Renshaw and Kat Stafford

(Reuters) – The NAACP urged President Joe Biden on Thursday to “indefinitely” suspend all arms deliveries to Israel and pressure the U.S. ally to end its war in the Gaza Strip, sending a reminder that its support for Israel could hurt it among black voters in the November elections.

The NAACP’s appeal was a rare example of an influential civil rights organization taking a stance on U.S. foreign policy toward a country without a significant black population. This appears likely to deepen the Democratic president’s election-year challenges as he tries to support a key ally abroad and moderate unrest among his supporters at home.

The 115-year-old civil rights group said Israel has the right to defend itself following attacks by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, which Israel says killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.

The NAACP urged Hamas to return the hostages and “stop all terrorist activities.” It also urged Israel to “commit to an offensive strategy that is in line with international and humanitarian laws.” Israel faces accusations at the International Court of Justice of having violated the genocide convention, which it denies.

The NAACP, which advocates for racial justice and the rights of black Americans, said the US must use its influence over Israel to bring a permanent ceasefire to Gaza. According to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, caused widespread famine and displaced 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. many civilian lives, stop immediately,” the organization said in a statement first provided to Reuters.

The NAACP’s stance represents the latest warning sign that Biden may pay a price at the polls among black voters on Nov. 5 for his staunch support of Israel.

Black voters have long been a loyal Democratic constituency and played a significant role in Biden’s victory in 2020, when he defeated Republican Donald Trump, who 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 1,000 Black pastors called on Biden to secure a ceasefire in the crisis.

A poll conducted in March by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace revealed that 59% of black Americans believe that US military aid to Israel should only be used for self-defense and in accordance with human rights standards.

Biden’s re-election campaign is not so much concerned about the possibility of black voters turning to Trump as it is that many of them could sit out the election due to a lack of enthusiasm, campaign officials told Reuters .

After growing domestic pressure and international outrage, Biden halted a shipment of bombs last month to prevent their possible use in Israel’s attack on the Gaza city of Rafah. But the pause has been limited and the US remains Israel’s main supplier of military aid.

Biden said Friday that Israel has proposed a new ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages. He appealed to 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 for the next day to begin,” Biden said.

NAACP LEADER CALLS FOR U.S. MORAL LEADERSHIP

In an interview with Reuters, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the US needs to show moral leadership and stop sending weapons to Israel because of civilian deaths. Israel says it takes care to avoid civilian casualties and blames Hamas for, it says, hiding its fighters and command centers among civilians.

Johnson said the NAACP’s decision to speak out was motivated in part by young black Americans horrified by images of dead Palestinian civilians on their smartphones.

“This is raising a lot of questions about why our taxes are being used to harm civilians,” Johnson said.

Democrats are deeply divided over Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza and U.S. campus protests against it, a May Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

About 44% of registered Democratic 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 says will continue to grow as fighting continues. Human rights advocates have reported a global rise 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 the trend, but wants the U.S. to promote peace more forcefully by withholding weapons.

“We believe … it is the responsibility of this nation to chart a path 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)