Statement: Kamala Harris Can Gain Progressive Support By Demanding an Arms Embargo on Israel and a Permanent Ceasefire
July 26, 2024
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment applauds Vice President Kamala Harris's decision to not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's joint address to Congress on July 24, 2024. Harris joined 128 members of congress (including nine representatives from California) to reject Israel’s genocidal policies, which have been declared unlawful by the International Court of Justice.
President Biden’s nomination of Harris as presidential candidate has given hope to thousands of Americans who registered to vote this week. Our country has an exciting opportunity to change course to stop the genocide in Gaza and beat an authoritarian Trump presidency. We urge the Vice President to support a permanent ceasefire and enact an arms embargo on Israel.
If Democratic leaders truly care about defeating Trump and the Republican Party’s racist, anti-working class, anti-immigrant, and hateful politics, they must support the power of the multiracial working class. They must also commit to end Israel’s destruction of Palestine and listen to the demands of the multi-racial, multi-faith, cross-disability, and multi-generational movement in solidarity for a Free Palestine. This week seven major unions in the United States called for Biden to end military aid to Israel.
In October 2023, we issued a statement demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Eight months later, it is estimated that over 186,000 (June 2024) Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s genocide; yet President Biden continues to send billions in military aid to Israel. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, our communities experienced US state-sanctioned violence and genocide. We know that the working-class struggle for self-determination for AAPI communities is deeply connected to Palestinian liberation.
Timmy Lu, Executive Director of AAPIs for Civic Empowerment says:
“By responding to social movement calls, VP Harris signaled her willingness to work towards a permanent ceasefire and draw attention to the suffering of Palestinian people. We hope VP Harris will continue to change course on US policy in Palestine, and build the broad coalition we need to defeat the MAGA movement.”
We are hopeful that Vice President Harris will listen to the mass movement for Palestinian liberation in the United States.
Thousands of progressive voters, workers, youth, and people of color are preparing to vote in this coming election. We urge Vice President Harris to earn their trust by making material shifts in policies that will invest in Palestinian life. We also urge her to defend and work with pro-ceasefire progressive leaders in order to pave a new and more just path forward for our country.
Sign the Not Another Bomb petition from the Uncommitted Movement calling on Kamala Harris to support an arms embargo https://ucmvmt.us/petition