USA: Major environmental organization faces losing $60 million in federal funding after calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), a major alliance bringing together around a hundred local American environmental organizations, particularly from African-American communities, risks losing $60 million in federal funding after calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Designated more than a year ago as one of eleven distributors of grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CJA is the only one that has not yet received any funding. EPA employees anonymously claim that the organization is being penalized for its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The issue is all the more critical as these funds could disappear with the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump, who has announced that he wants to eliminate unspent funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. “We have already invested $1.6 million from our own budget to put in place the necessary infrastructure,” says KD Chavez, executive director of the CJA. The organization, which was to receive 50 million dollars for local projects and 10 million for technical development, thus finds itself in a precarious situation.

Faced with these accusations, the CJA defends its position. “Our organization has always been anti-war,” underlines Chavez, who denounces political exploitation. Republican elected officials have notably described the group as “radical” and “anti-American”, calling into question its legitimacy to receive federal funds. This situation raises questions about the freedom of expression of environmental organizations and their ability to maintain their independence while benefiting from public funding.