US government employees of the group Feds United for Peace are planning a day of “fasting” in an attempt to raise awareness of the humanitarian conflict in Gaza. The group is made up of dozens of officials who are against US President Joe Biden’s policies toward Israel, and had organized a walkout earlier this month, also in protest of Biden’s policies.
Government officials who participate in the protest are also expected to show up to their offices dressed in black or wearing keffiyeh scarves as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity. Forgoing food out of choice, said one federal employee, is representative of Israel’s use of “starvation as a weapon of war by intentionally withholding food from entering Gaza”.
This month, an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report found that the Gaza Strip conflict has left those in the area food insecure and at risk of famine.
The group is made up of members who represent more than two dozen agencies including the department of defense, homeland security and state, those with careers in the public service, and political appointees. According to a report published on Monday, the group expects hundreds of government employees to participate in the hunger strike.
A walkout by the group earlier this month drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. US House Speaker Mike Johnosn (R-LA) said that those who participated “deserved to be fired”. But the Feds United for Peace Group say that they are only hoping to start a conversation about the Gaza conflict in their offices, in hopes of working towards a policy that would support a ceasefire.
However, one report notes that Biden seems unswayed by any political protests regarding the conflict in Gaza. And White House insiders reportedly say that Biden has the final say on any of the administration’s decisions regarding Israel policy.
The US president has repeatedly refused to encourage a ceasefire in Gaza, which has claimed more than 26,000 Palestinians. The administration also bypassed Congress in order to funnel millions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel, and the president has continued to seek billions more.
As a result, Biden (who faces a looming battle to keep his position in the White House this year) has lost support from his base. Just one in three registered voters reportedly approve of his handling of the conflict, according to polls. And the figure drops even more among young voters with just 20% of those under the age of 30 supporting his decision.