March 2 Day of Action, Greensboro, NC

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Green Party issued a statement calling on Gov. Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Legislature to call for a permanent ceasefire and end all aid to Israel. 

The Carolina Journal
By Katherine Zehnder
May 30, 2024

“The North Carolina Green Party is calling on Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Legislature to call on President Biden to stop ALL aid to Israel and demand an immediate and PERMANENT ceasefire,” according to the press release. “If North Carolina continues to stand idly by and allow these atrocities to happen, every elected official is showing that they would rather stand by the illegal and unethical acts of genocide taken by a foreign government than stand with the rule of law. North Carolina must stand with the majority of Americans calling for a ceasefire by holding Biden accountable to his red line. Showing accountability means going a step further than calling for a ceasefire. North Carolina must also cut all ties with Israel. The Divestments from Companies Boycotting Israel Act of 2017 must be outlawed. HB942, the ‘Shalom Act’, must not be passed without the understanding that the Palestinians are also Semites.”

At least 37 people were killed by explosions outside of Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza, following Israeli airstrikes in the area, according to a report by the Associate Press (AP). The Green Party’s call is the latest example of local activists or governmental bodies, far removed from a violent conflict overseas, demanding local action be taken to solve the one of the most complicated international conflicts in modern world history.

Carolina Journal sought reaction to the NC Green Party’s statement from the North Carolina Democratic Party as well as the Republican Party of North Carolina, as the geopolitical firestorms burns into local political positioning.

NCGOP Spokesman was the only office to respond to the Carolina Journal’s request for comment.

“It is unconscionable to suggest that we abandon our ally while they are in a fight for their very existence,” said the spokesman. “The fight for the survival of Israel is one that transcends disputes between nations. It is for the future of the Jewish people. Those who demand ceasefires and ending aid to Israel are siding with terrorists.” 

The Office of Gov. Roy Cooper, nor the NC Democratic Party, responded to requests for comment on this story.

Democrats have been walking a political tight rope concerning the conflict in Gaza, with President Joe Biden taking heat from both sides as Leftist political factions foment anti-Israel protests. Similarly, top North Carolina Democrats, Cooper and NC Attorney General Josh Stein, have treated the issue carefully in light of a divided political base.

RAFAH

Israeli officials have suggested the civilian casualties in Rafah were due to a fire and secondary explosions of nearby munitions stores. The NC Green Party statement follows Friday’s vote by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) 13-2, ordering Israel to halt its military offensiveagainst Rafah.

“The results of Israel’s initial probe into the fire were issued Tuesday, with military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari saying the cause of the fire was still under investigation but that the Israeli munitions used — targeting what the army said was a position with two senior Hamas militants — were too small to be the source,” reported the AP. 

“The charges of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in the Hague are false, outrageous and morally repugnant,” responded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to the ruling by the ICJ, according to an AP report. 

“We are looking into all possibilities including the option that weapons stored in a compound next to our target which we did not know of may have ignited as a result of the strike,” Adm. Hagari told Reuters. 

Earlier this month, President Biden threatened to stop supplying Israel with weapons if they launched an invasion of Rafah. However, the White House demurred when asked about the matter earlier this week. 

“As a result of this strike on Sunday, I have no policy changes to speak to,” John Kirby, Whitehouse spokesman, told reporters, according to the Hill. 

Anti-Israel protests continue internationally, as well. Tuesday night police were attacked outside of the Israeli embassy in Mexico, as pro-Palestinian protestors threw bricks, stones, and Molotov cocktails at police, as well as attempted to tear down metal barricades and set fire to the Israeli embassy. 

Netanyahu is also under pressure to end the 6-month long war domestically, with opponents demonstrating weekly, urging the Israeli government to broker a deal that ends the war and brings the hostages home.

Of the more than 240 hostages taken by Hamas on during the attacks of October 7, 2023, 120 hostages remain in Gaza, according to a report by WSJ. 

This Sunday, June 2, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum is organizing marches worldwide to bring the hostages home. There will be a rally in downtown Raleigh from 4-6 pm in front of the Capitol, 1 E Edenton St in Raleigh. 

Gov. Cooper’s office and the North Carolina Democratic Party did notrespond to the Carolina Journal’s request for comment for this article.