US Teachers Union Urges Biden to Stop Supporting Israel

The resolution, introduced ahead of the National Education Association's (NEA) annual convention last week, also condemned Israel for its "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians and sought to garner support for Palestinian rights among educators in the country.

"The Arab population of Palestine has again risen up in a heroic struggle against military repression and 'ethnic cleansing' by the Israeli state and extreme nationalist forces in Israeli society," the measure said.

"The NEA will publicize its support for the Palestinian struggle for justice and call on the United States government to stop arming and supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia."

The NEA represents three million people in the field of education across the country.

Another measure, which called for educating the general public on the oppression of Palestinians, including "the detention and abuse of children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory", was deferred until next year's conference. It also called for the union to publicly advocate for Palestinian children to receive a quality education.

"The NEA must recognize the existence and sovereignty of Palestine and Palestinian children and families and their human right to access a quality education and live freely as outlined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights," the resolution read.

The introduction of the resolutions came after a wave of labor movement support in the US following the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Gaza in May that killed at least 248 Palestinians, including more than 60 children, and destroyed many buildings, including schools, medical centers, and media offices. 

A number of American labor unions introduced measures, resolutions, and statements of solidarity with Palestinians, with some going as far as issuing calls for boycotting Israel over its violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.