The leaders of one of the most important Christian denominations in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, this week called on the Biden administration to stop providing security assistance to the State of Israel in light of what they called the “mass genocide” Israel is committing in Gaza. Indeed, since the outbreak of the war, Black churches and other religious groups in the United States have expressed support for a ceasefire, but the AME’s announcement is a significant departure from the statements made on the subject so far.
The statement by the leaders of the AME calls for an “immediate and permanent cease-fire” while expressing concern about the situation of the Palestinians “stuck in Rafah.” It even claims that Israel has “denied them access to water, food, shelter, and health services.” In addition, the statement makes heavy accusations against Israel, claiming that Israel acts with the intention to murder Palestinian civilians, the United States will pay a heavy price for this, and therefore the US administration must stop transferring weapons to Israel.
The announcement of the AME could greatly affect the internal politics of the Democratic Party, especially in a presidential election year. Biden was elected president in 2020 in part due to the resounding support from the Black community, as well as through the support system of the Black churches. As such, the Black community’s sharp criticism of Biden’s support for Israel is significant, as it has the potential to complicate the Democratic Party ahead of the general election.
As of now, despite the sharp and growing criticism at home and even within his own party, Biden continues to support Israel and provide it with the necessary armaments. That said, we must consider that the criticism Biden faces at home and the clashes he is having with the Israeli government on significant political issues, such as the hostage deal, the operation in Rafah, and the “day after” in Gaza, significantly increase the pressure on the US administration and may have a negative impact on its policy toward Israel.
The leaders of one of the most important Christian denominations in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, this week called on the Biden administration to stop providing security assistance to the State of Israel in light of what they called the “mass genocide” Israel is committing in Gaza. Indeed, since the outbreak of the war, Black churches and other religious groups in the United States have expressed support for a ceasefire, but the AME’s announcement is a significant departure from the statements made on the subject so far.
The statement by the leaders of the AME calls for an “immediate and permanent cease-fire” while expressing concern about the situation of the Palestinians “stuck in Rafah.” It even claims that Israel has “denied them access to water, food, shelter, and health services.” In addition, the statement makes heavy accusations against Israel, claiming that Israel acts with the intention to murder Palestinian civilians, the United States will pay a heavy price for this, and therefore the US administration must stop transferring weapons to Israel.
The announcement of the AME could greatly affect the internal politics of the Democratic Party, especially in a presidential election year. Biden was elected president in 2020 in part due to the resounding support from the Black community, as well as through the support system of the Black churches. As such, the Black community’s sharp criticism of Biden’s support for Israel is significant, as it has the potential to complicate the Democratic Party ahead of the general election.
As of now, despite the sharp and growing criticism at home and even within his own party, Biden continues to support Israel and provide it with the necessary armaments. That said, we must consider that the criticism Biden faces at home and the clashes he is having with the Israeli government on significant political issues, such as the hostage deal, the operation in Rafah, and the “day after” in Gaza, significantly increase the pressure on the US administration and may have a negative impact on its policy toward Israel.