In a situation that exemplifies the idiomatic “strange bedfellows” made by politics, many conservatives now seem to have more in common with President Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict than the pro-Palestine wing of his own party.
Although the White House has provided some equivocal statements after an initially full-throated defense of Israel in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, it has clearly not been enough to satiate far-left Democrats like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
According to a new report, there is growing dissension within the ranks of the Biden administration itself, including State Department staffers and White House aides who are speaking out against the president’s pro-Israel sentiment.
Hundreds of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers added their names to an open letter asserting that “we need an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities” in response to Israel’s efforts to eradicate the Hamas terrorist group behind last month’s deadly attack.
“We believe that further catastrophic loss of human life can only be avoided if the United States Government calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages, and the restoration of water, food, fuel, and electricity to the people of Gaza by the State of Israel,” the letter asserts.
A number of aides working in even closer proximity to the president have reportedly begun expressing their frustrations behind closed doors.
One White House official stated: “It has created great moral anxiety. But no one can say it because we all work at the pleasure of the president and he’s all in.”
BREAKING: Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Washington DC to protest against President Biden and the US government’s support of Israel.
Some protesters went as far to call Biden "Genocide Joe."
The crowd was seen waving Palestine flags as they called for a “Free… pic.twitter.com/fL1qV14hMO
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 4, 2023
Biden’s efforts to bridge the gap between the pro-Israel and anti-Israel factions of the Democratic Party have been on display since his trip to Israel in the aftermath of the attack.
“I was very blunt with the Israelis,” he told reporters on the flight back from that visit. “Israel has been badly victimized. But, you know, the truth is that if they have an opportunity to relieve suffering of people who have nowhere to go, that is what they should do.”
In the face of mounting pressure by the Biden administration to provide a “humanitarian pause” in the war effort, Israel confirmed this week that daily four-hour pauses in the fighting would start on Thursday
