Civil society organizations and activists advocating for abortion rights claim that U.S. President Joe Biden’s support for Israel has divided the movement. This divide has led those supporting Palestinians to feel marginalized by larger reproductive rights groups and question whether they will vote for Biden in November.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris marked what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade in late January with their inaugural campaign event of 2024. The “Restore Roe” rally in northern Virginia underscored the focus on abortion rights in the Biden/Harris reelection campaign. The event drew a crowd of Biden supporters and representatives from national reproductive rights organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, and Reproductive Freedom for All, all of whom have endorsed the president.
During Biden’s speech, protesters interrupted to demand a cessation of Israel’s U.S.-backed military actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of over 28,000 Palestinians and triggered a crisis in maternal and reproductive health.
Despite the interruptions, Biden continued to speak, with security attempting to manage the protesters who chanted “Genocide Joe!” and demanded a cease-fire. The protesters were countered by hundreds of Biden supporters who clapped and chanted “Four more years!” in an effort to drown them out.
“No one is making the connection”
Biden appears to have welcomed abortion rights, a key issue for Democrats, and has garnered a very early endorsement from national reproductive rights organizations. Despite the president’s campaign placing a strong emphasis on abortion rights, Biden is often hesitant to discuss abortion.
When it comes to abortion care, many advocates for reproductive justice believe that the president is a lukewarm supporter at best.
Now workers are deeply troubled by the prospect that Biden’s administration may be exacerbating a maternal and reproductive health crisis in Gaza through its aid to Israel.
“No one is making the connection that there’s a huge repro genocide happening in Gaza that we are funding, and the big repro organizations that are endorsing him are pretending like it’s not happening,” one leader who has met with the Biden administration on abortion issues told HuffPost.
HuffPost interviewed more than twelve individuals working within reproductive justice causes, including current employees of Planned Parenthood, legal specialists, nurse midwives, abortion fund workers, and clinic staff members from various parts of the country. According to them, President Biden’s steadfast support for Israel has led to a division within the movement. This division has resulted in supporters of Palestinians feeling marginalized by larger reproductive rights groups and questioning whether they can support Biden in the November elections. These individuals also express concern about potential repercussions for their dissent.
Several workers emphasized that while abortion access is crucial, it is only one component of the broader reproductive justice framework, which encompasses the right to decide when and how to have a child and the right to provide a safe and nurturing environment for that child.
“We’re feeling used”
Biden’s lukewarm backing for abortion access had already disenchanted a number of workers with his administration. Others stated that Biden’s stance on immigration policy further reinforced their choice not to support him in the November elections. Everyone concurred that Gaza was the tipping point.
They grasp the high stakes: a potential second term under Trump would likely pose an even greater threat to abortion access in the United States. However, they are weary of campaigning for Democratic candidates who seldom heed the voices of frontline service workers and subsequently backtrack on their pledges concerning abortion rights upon taking office.
“The Biden administration is using abortion access to win his presidential campaign, which is a huge problem when there is a reproductive justice crisis in Palestine that he is contributing to,” said one Planned Parenthood employee.
“There’s a huge divide in our movement now that a lot of the union workers are talking about. We’re feeling used; we’re feeling abandoned,” the worker added. “It’s definitely a betrayal to see these CEOs saying ‘Four more years’ when Biden hasn’t even done anything to help our movement.”
Source: Huffington Post