LA teachers union supports blocking US sale of about $20 billion in weaponry to Israel

LOS ANGELES — The governing body of the L.A. teachers union has weighed in on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, voting Wednesday to support a congressional effort to block the sale of more than $20 billion in U.S. weaponry to Israel on the grounds that American-supplied arms were being used against civilians.

The United Teachers Los Angeles union vote calls for California Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler "to pledge their support" for a government action called a "Joint Resolutions of Disapproval," which, according to its sponsors, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), would halt the sales of specific armaments to Israel. The issue is expected to be taken up after the Senate reconvenes in November.

UTLA's stated goal is "to promote a peaceful solution to the expanding war in the Middle East in line with our March 2024 call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine."

Union materials prepared for a board of directors meeting, which were obtained by The Times, state the rationale for taking such a stand: "the arms named have been used in violations of U.S. and international law, indiscriminately killing large numbers of civilians, many of them children."

The rationale also asserted why it was appropriate for UTLA to take up the matter.

"As educators, we have watched for one year as Israel has decimated the education system for current and future Palestinians, destroying every university in Gaza and forcing children to attend school in refugee camps or not at all," the document explaining the union's rationale for the resolution states.

The union did not immediately release the vote tally, but it passed easily among those members of the union's House of Representatives who attended the virtual meeting, sources said. UTLA's House of Representatives is its official governing body.

On Oct. 7, 2023, a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and took some 250 others hostage. More than 42,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have died in Israeli retaliatory attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and the ongoing war has brought on a humanitarian crisis and left the territory in ruins.

"It is our duty as educators to speak up for the protection of education and all young people and their families, especially when it is our tax dollars fueling this destruction and our government providing the arms," according to the rationale provided to the board of directors, which the union said was not provided to members of the House prior to its vote.

"Furthermore," the document continued, "this directly affects our members; many UTLA rank and file have loved ones who have lost their lives or livelihoods due to this conflict."

Israel has blamed Hamas for the high casualty count, saying the militant group has stationed its fighters, supplies and weapons in civilian areas, where even targeted attacks would result in serious harm to the civilian population.

Those against the UTLA resolution included Scott Mandel, a member of the union's board of directors, who shared a statement he said he read at the meeting.

"Please understand, criticizing Israel is NOT anti-Semitic," he said in part. "Criticizing the Jewish State while NOT condemning the Hamas atrocities IS an anti-Semitic act!"

"If this motion passes," Mandel added, "not only will we lose many Jewish and Israel-supporting members, but the negative P.R. that will result will be tremendous," including potential harm to candidates that the union is endorsing for the Board of Education.

At least two union members requested a postponement of the vote because some Jewish members were not present due to the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret.

In March, UTLA called for a cease-fire.

In September 2021 the teachers union shelved a resolution that would have condemned Israel and supported Palestinians. Instead, the union's governing body overwhelmingly passed a substitute motion to set up voluntary forums for union members to discuss the issue. At the time the union leadership said its decision was "based on the concern that this is an extremely divisive issue that would seriously damage union unity at a time where we need solidarity in our coming contractual battles."

The rationale for the new resolution also calls attention to steps taken by other unions, including a July call to "immediately halt all military aid to Israel." The unions that signed that earlier letter were the Assn. of Flight Attendants, American Postal Workers Union, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Education Assn., Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, and United Electrical Workers.

In a rare, direct warning from the Biden administration, the president told Israel this month that it must allow humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip or risk cutbacks to the flow of U.S. military armaments. Biden's deadline for action is after the November presidential election.

Sanders introduced the congressional resolutions with one or more of them co-sponsored by Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, both Democrats.

For the military aid to be blocked, the resolutions would have to be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by Biden.

The targeted arms include 120-millimeter tank cartridges, 120-millimeter high-explosive mortar cartridges and 50 F-15IA aircraft, associated weapons and parts, as well as upgrade kits for F-15 aircraft.