US Black church: A Cease-Fire in Gaza

Agencies – Sudan Events

More than 900 Black Christian faith leaders representing churches across the country called Biden for an immediate bilateral ceasefire in the Middle East” for the sake of our shared humanity and our collective security”.
Historically, Black Christian voters, often led by their pastors, have been instrumental in electing Democratic candidates. During the lead-up to the 2020 election, the Black Church PAC, which signed the letter in tandem with Leaders for Ceasefire, was pivotal in mobilizing Black and religious voters. The PAC reached more than 30,000 people, made nearly 45,000 calls and trained more than 2,500 clergy leaders in election protection and souls-to-the-polls efforts.
Pastor Michael McBride, a co-founder of the Black Church PAC and one of the organizers behind the letter, said that the group met with officials before publishing it “to give them an opportunity to give us as much updates as they could, and also push them to call for a bilateral ceasefire and the release of all hostages, a huge increase of humanitarian aid and a peaceful resolution”.
Despite the temporary seven-day ceasefire in November, Biden and the US representatives in the UN have largely been unwavering in their support of Israel. While recently saying that he wants the war to end “as soon as possible”, Biden has not presented a timeline for ending the war. In a recent UN vote calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the US was one of only 10 nations to vote against the resolution.
“I’m not sure we’ve made a decision on how we’re going to engage election season,” Parker said. “If we did decide to support this candidate, this is making, in southern language, a hard row to hoe. It is making it really difficult for us to even imagine right now what it means to attempt to mobilize with this refusal.”
After Biden was elected, the Black Church PAC released an open letter to the incoming administration, presenting concerns and reminding them of key issues.
The PAC’s endorsement of the Biden-Harris ticket was contingent on promises that the group says have not been kept, such as a failure to pass a federal voting rights bill and failure to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. With the administration’s support of the war in the Middle East, PAC members say their 2024 endorsement is up in the air.
Following the 2020 election, Biden polled with Black voters at about 90%. In a recent survey, about 20% of Black Americans polled said they would vote for someone other than Biden or former president Trump. According to Politico, Biden carries only about 63% of Black voters.
McBride emphasized that the decisions Biden and his administration are making now will affect voters’ decision next year. He thinks the Democratic party at large “needs to step away from engaging in foreign military excursions and activities”.
According to an October survey: “43 percent of Black Americans supported some form of ceasefire in Gaza, while 24 percent believed the United States should not be involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”