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For Immediate Release
November, 09 2020, 11:00pm EDT
Contact:
Melissa Garriga: melissa@codepink.org
WASHINGTON
On Tuesday, November 11, Senator Kelly Loeffler accused her opponent, Reverend Raphael Warnock, of having "a history of anti-Israel positions, from embracing anti-Zionist Black Lives Matter... to calling Israel an 'oppressive regime' for fighting back against terrorism." CODEPINK, an organization with a number of Jewish leaders, strongly condemns these false accusations of antisemitism.
Senator Loeffler bases her accusations on Rev. Warnock's support for the Black Lives Matter movement and support for a 2019 statement by the National Council of Churches.
In 2019, Reverend Warnock traveled on a pilgrimage to Palestine and Israel with the National Council of Churches to see the situation with his own eyes. Upon return to the United States, the group, including Warnock, released a statement which observed the heavy militarization of the West Bank, and called it "reminiscent of the military occupation of Namibia by apartheid South Africa." The group called for "an end of weapons sales and proliferation to all sides in the conflict and, indeed, to the entire region." It also recommended preserving "the option of utilizing economic pressure as a means of bringing recalcitrant dominant forces to the negotiating table." We support these recommendations and commend Rev. Warnock for participating in this delegation.
CODEPINK also rejects the claim that the Black Lives Matter movement is antisemitic. Many of the Black Lives Matter leaders have traveled to the region as well, and returned with strong feelings of solidarity with the Palestinian people. That's why the platform of the Movement for Black Lives takes a strong stand for Palestinian rights, calling Israel is an apartheid state that is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
During its 2014 war in Gaza, Israel killed over 2,000 Palestinians, including over 1,400 civilians, of whom around 500 were children and around were 250 women. Between March 30 and May 15 of 2018, Israeli snipers killed over 100 Palestinian protestors in Gaza, including journalists and medical workers. The United Nations has said that these actions were likely crimes against humanity. Israel currently has a case pending in the International Criminal Court for the wars in Gaza and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Israel's military occupation of the West Bank is composed of separate roads for Israelis and Palestinians, checkpoints, and a military court system that subjects two different groups of people to two separate sets of laws. Anyone who has traveled to the West Bank city of Hebron, as Reverand Warnock did with the National Council of Churches, is immediately confronted by the visceral and appalling reality that Israel is imposing a system of apartheid on the Palestinian people.
CODEPINK finds it ironic that the Senator making false accusations of antisemitism against Reverend Warnock is herself a supporter of incoming congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has made blatant Islamophobic and antisemitic statements and supports the conspiracy group QAnon.
As an organization committed to ending racism and militarism in the United States, as well as apartheid and injustice in Israel/Palestine, CODEPINK encourages Reverend Warnock to continue to speak out for freedom and equality for all in Palestine and Israel and hopes to see more members of Congress, as well as candidates, join delegations like the one Reverend Warnock participated in.
CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
(818) 275-7232LATEST NEWS
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"No reason given. No one, not even military users, were apparently given advanced warning," said one veteran journalist. "Aside from 9/11, I can't remember anything like that."
Feb 11, 2026
The is a developing story... Please check back for possible updates...
Speculation and alarm was triggered overnight after the Federal Aviation Administration late Tuesday, with nothing more than "special security reasons” given as a reason, ordered the suspension of all incoming and outgoing flights from the airport in El Paso, Texas.
"What on Earth is going on?" asked Franklin Leonard, a contributing editor with Vanity Fair, in a reaction to the news—given the limited information provided by the federal government—that was similarly expressed by many online.
In a post on Instagram, the El Paso International Airport said, "All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The FAA has issued a flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST)." No further details were given and passengers were told to contact their carrier for status on specific flights.
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A statement from the airport said the grounding order had been given “on short notice” and that it was waiting for additional guidance from the FAA. In its notice, the FAA said the federal government “may use deadly force” against aircraft violating the airspace and determined to pose “an imminent security threat.”
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A federal grand jury on Tuesday declined to go along with an effort by the Trump Justice Department to indict Democratic lawmakers involved in a November video reminding members of the US military of their duty to refuse illegal orders, a message that came as President Donald Trump deployed troops to major American cities.
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We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025
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