How the war on Gaza mobilized the American left: NYT
3 Min Read
A growing alliance of advocacy groups is debating how to present its case at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
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US Democratic Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaks during a press conference to call for a ceasefire between Gaza in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2023. (AFP)
With the rising death toll in Gaza, US Democrats felt the squeeze, and the pro-Palestine movement grew in popularity as a driving force in the US, The New York Times reported.
Support for Palestine has evolved into a defining issue for the Democratic left, mobilizing a diverse range of organizations into the most important protest movement of the Biden administration.
A huge new incarnation of the pro-Palestine movement is now powered by veteran — and often hard-line — activists, as well as mainstream Democratic coalition components, thanks to daily Zoom organizing sessions and grass-roots campaigning in key states.
Climate, housing, and immigration organizations are frequently opposing "Israel's" onslaught in Gaza, which began following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 and has killed over 33,634 people and injured over 76,214.
Read more: Pro-Palestine protests massively overtake pro-Zionist protests in US
Labor activists have called for a ceasefire and Black religious leaders have made direct appeals to the White House. Young Americans are utilizing the internet to rally votes and write millions of letters to Congress. A growing alliance of advocacy groups is debating how to present its case at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the Working Families Party, a leftist organization that has historically been primarily concerned with domestic matters, told The New York Times that “maybe there was an idea that over time, the movement would lose steam, or it was just like a campus thing or it was like a far-left sort of protest movement,” adding that the opposite was now happening.
The NYT conducted interviews with more than 30 activists who are active in the ceasefire campaign, as well as their opponents, revealing an effort that is becoming increasingly strong yet also disorganized and difficult to describe since no primary leader or group is leading the initiative.
How many children must die for you to be satisfied? say pro-Palestine protesters interrupting Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in the senate pic.twitter.com/qQGgsh8NIR
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) April 10, 2024
The movement consists of hundreds of groups, ranging from national to local, all of which are loosely connected in their desire for a ceasefire but may not necessarily agree on how or what would happen next.
Biden urges 'Israel to call' for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza
US President Joe Biden, in an unprecedented statement from his administration, called on the Israeli occupation on Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
While still sending arms to "Israel" which is besieging Gaza, Biden urged for the entry of aid, namely food and medicine, amid heightened Israeli aggression and increasing hunger and death due to the lack of medicine in Gaza.
"What I'm calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country," he said.
He claimed that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan were all prepared to aid in delivering aid to war-stricken Gaza.
"I've spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They're prepared to move in. They're prepared to move this food in. And I think there's no excuse to not provide for the medical and food needs of those people. It should be done now," Biden stressed after his administration spent six long months dehumanizing the Palestinian people.
