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New York Jews and allies staged a theatrical press conference and protest this morning at the headquarters of Atlas Air, calling attention to the over $600 million in loans and guarantees from the federal government, including a $20 million contract with the Air Force since April 2024. This $20 million contract is specifically for the civil air transportation services under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, which functions to hire private transport companies when the materials the Air Force is shipping exceeds the capacity of the Air Force.
Atlas Air has made dozens of flights from U.S. military bases to Israel since October 7th, transporting materials to support the Israeli military as it destroys homes, displaces families, and continues to kill tens of thousands of Palestinians. These operations have been directly supported by New York State tax dollars, with the company receiving over $18 million in subsidies for staying in state with their move to the White Plains headquarters. For too long, Atlas Air has been allowed to operate with complicity in the shadows, and protestors aimed to shine a light the company’s devastating contributions to the genocide in Gaza.
Led by Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), the action began with a dramatized press conference with activists posing as Atlas Air leadership celebrating their major profits since October 7th, highlighting the money this company has made off of war and genocide.
The staged press conference was quickly ‘interrupted’ by additional protestors taking over the lobby, calling attention to Atlas Air’s flights for genocide, and demanding an end to the U.S. and corporate-backed bombing of Gaza. Protestors dressed up as pilots carried posters reading “Atlas Air: We Fly For Genocide.” Protestors with banners reading “Stop Arming Israel” and “Atlas Air: War Profiteers” blocked the entrance to the elevators from the lobby. After roughly 45 minutes, the protestors were removed from the lobby, after which they gathered outside for a rally and press conference to condemn Atlas Air for profiting off of genocide.
“We’ve talked about our Jewish community’s complicity in Israel’s genocide, and we’ve taken action to protest the U.S. government’s culpability, but we haven’t heard enough about the war profiteers – the private companies profiting off of these atrocities,” said Audrey Sasson, JFREJ’s Executive Director.
“Atlas Air executives have Palestinian blood on their hands while lining their pockets,” said Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour. “It is horrific enough to live in a country whose leaders watch kids being slaughtered and do nothing — it is even worse to live in a country and a state where people actually profit off of that slaughter. The war profiteers do not want this genocide to end; they’re making money off it. We the people must take action to call them out, to demand Atlas Air stop transporting the bombs that Israel rains down on Gaza, to demand from our elected officials an arms embargo.”
“We are using political theater to force Atlas Air, a company that has almost entirely evaded scrutiny for its actions, into the spotlight. Our satirized press conference called attention to beliefs Atlas leadership won’t publicly express, but that truly underly their work: that war and genocide are good for business” said Jenny Romaine, JFREJ member, artist and director. “While this was a satire, we know that the stakes and the urgent need to end Israel’s horrific bombardment of Gaza are deadly serious.”
“Israel is heavily reliant on weapons imported from the US for the war on Gaza, and companies like Atlas Air have been quietly profiting through this partnership,” said Asaf Calderon, a member of Shoresh, an organization of anti-Zionist Israelis. “The Israeli government refuses to listen to calls for a ceasefire, even at the cost of unimaginable Palestinian casualties and lost Israeli lives, so we are calling for an arms embargo by the US to force this genocide to an end.
“It’s vital to be clear about who is profiting off of the genocide of Palestinians,” said Colette Gerstmann from JVPNYC. “We can’t allow private companies like Atlas Air to go unchallenged as they take payments from the U.S. government to send bombs to Gaza — especially not when they are doing so in our home state, with our tax dollars.”
After the rally, the group handed out fliers explaining Atlas Air’s role profiting off of war and directing people to the website atlasfliesforgenocide.com.
This action (organized by JFREJ and co-sponsored by Shoresh, JVPNYC, NYC DSA, IfNotNow NYC, and Westchester for Palestine) was carried out in line with activists across the country who have taken up the call for the U.S. to implement a weapons embargo and stop arming Israel as they continue to carry out the bombardment and destruction of Gaza.
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Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For over 30 years, JFREJ members have organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence.