The UAW’s Anti-Israel Stance
On October 7, 2023, Israel was assaulted in the largest terrorist attack on the state since its inception, killing 1,400 people. To date, the UAW has not condemned this terrorist act. However, the union has found time to criticize Israel for its response to the attack and call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
On December 1, 2023, UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla announced that the UAW was calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the conflict. He stated that the union would be forming a group to study the UAW’s economic ties to the conflict.
On December 14, Shawn Fain spoke in front of the US Capitol – alongside several congresswomen who have been criticized for anti-Israel rhetoric – and reiterated the union’s demand. The group included Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who herself was censured by the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote over her “promotion of antisemitic rhetoric,” and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over antisemitic comments.
The national union’s stance echoes the actions of a series of radical UAW locals. UAW Local 2110 released a statement days after the attack blaming Israel for the slaughter of over 1,000 of its people. Likewise, an affiliate of UAW Local 2710 released a similar statement on October 16, and called for divestment from Israel. UAW Chief Counsel Ben Dictor has accused Israel of conducting an “ethnic cleansing” and a “literal holocaust” in his response to the terrorist attack.
