The statement came as a response to the disruption of his speech by pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding an immediate ceasefire.
"I understand the passion. But I'm quietly working with the Israeli government to get it to curtail [hostilities] and meaningfully pull out of Gaza," Biden said, addressing the handful of young protesters who interrupted his speech with shouts of "Ceasefire now." He added that he was doing everything in his power to achieve this goal.
The speech, which took place at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a site of a tragic mass shooting by a right-wing extremist in 2015, primarily focused on racism, discrimination, the economy, and the threat posed by Donald Trump's candidacy. The issue of the conflict in the Middle East was not further addressed in Biden’s speech.
The US has been publicly talking for weeks about the necessity of moving to a less intensive phase of operations in Gaza and enhancing the protection of civilians amid thousands of civilian casualties. The upcoming visit to Israel by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to include discussions on the issue.
Biden’s remarks align with the recent statements from his administration, urging Israel to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza. He has also faced mounting pressure from the left flank of his own Democratic Party over the US stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly following the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that continued after last year’s October 7 terror attacks.
Source: PAP
