Unions demand U.S. recognize Palestine’s sovereignty and demand that Israeli government end violence, starvation, and injustices on Palestinian people

National Nurses United (NNU), the country’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses, and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) — together representing over a quarter million union members — sent a letter today to President Trump to demand that “the Israeli government permanently end its military operations and blockade in Palestine, and that the United States immediately recognize the sovereignty of Palestine.”

“Our unions concur with the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” stated the letter. “The United States must intervene immediately to put an end to the violence, starvation, and injustices being inflicted on the Palestinian people. 

“The attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 was an atrocity. But Israel’s collective punishment of millions of Palestinians and destruction of Gaza over two years constitute a crime against humanity,” the letter continued. “More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, including nearly 20,000 children, while 1.9 million have been displaced and countless others have been severely injured and have lost their family members since October 2023. The death toll includes many of our union siblings, including hundreds of health care workers, media workers, engineers, and civil servants killed on the job.” 

The letter concluded with a demand for “urgent action to immediately halt military aid to Israel; secure a permanent and immediate ceasefire that ensures an end to the mass killing and starvation of innocent Palestinian civilians; ensure that the remaining hostages in Gaza and political prisoners in Israel are safely returned home; and recognize Palestinian sovereignty and restore the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.” 

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.