Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Ample Evidence that Biden and Democrats Will Lose Substantial Traditional Votes in 2024 Elections, for Supporting the Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza

 January 4, 2024

 

Tariq Habash, who resigned in protest to Biden's support for the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, January 4, 2024	Palestinian American Congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, calling Biden for permanent cease-fire agreement in Gaza, November 11, 2023

A demonstrator holding a sign with Genocide Joe, You Lost My Vote written on it, another flying a Palestinian flag, during a White House protest, November 4, 2023	African American students at Howard University showing support for the Palestinian people, October 17, 2023 usatoday

Latino youths in Los Angeles showing support for the Palestinian people, December 2, 2023 guardian	Actor Cynthia Nixon speaks as she announces a hunger strike, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the White House on 27 November, 2023 guardian

 

Senior education official cites Biden's 'blind eye to the atrocities' in Gaza as reason for resignation

NBC News, January 3, 2024,

By Peter Nicholas

WASHINGTON —  

A senior Biden education official announced his resignation Wednesday, citing the administration’s failure to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from Israel’s offensive in its deadly war with Hamas.

In a letter Wednesday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Tariq Habash, a policy advisor in the department's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, wrote, “I cannot stay silent as this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinian lives, in what leading human rights experts have called a genocidal campaign by the Israeli government.”

Habash, a Palestinian American, is a political appointee and a student loan and college affordability specialist.

His resignation is the latest sign of unease within the ranks of the Biden administration over the president's handling of a war that broke out Oct. 7 when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state. In November, more than 400 Biden administration officials wrote an open letter calling on Biden to insist on a cease-fire. The letter did not give their names.

Israel’s counter-attack has resulted in more than 21,000 deaths in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities, prompting senior Biden administration officials to press Israel for a more targeted approach to the conflict that spares more civilian lives.

But critics argue that the White House is not using its leverage as Israel’s main military benefactor to bring about a change in tactics. They’ve prevailed on the White House to attach conditions to the military aid flowing to Israel rather than simply beseech Israeli leaders to show more restraint.

Habash’s two-page letter suggests that whatever Biden has done to rein in Israel has failed to prevent an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

“I cannot be quietly complicit as the administration fails to leverage its influence as Israel’s strongest ally to halt the abusive and collective punishment tactics that have cut off Palestinians in Gaza from food, water, electricity, fuel and medical supplies, leading to widespread disease and starvation,” he wrote.

He went on to suggest a callousness on Biden’s part in reacting to the death toll in Gaza. At a news conference in October, Biden dismissed casualty reports coming out of Gaza, saying he had no assurance that “the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed.”

“I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war,” Biden added.

In his letter, Habash wrote that “the president has publicly questioned the integrity of Palestinian death counts frequently used by our own State Department, the United Nations, and numerous humanitarian non-governmental organizations.”

A spokesperson for the Education Department, in response to a request for comment on Habash, said, "We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Mindful of growing dissent within the administration, White House officials have made efforts to meet with Arab American, Palestinian American, and Muslim American staff members to hear their concerns about the war. They’ve also convened quiet meetings with various Arab and Palestinian community leaders who are upset about the war’s direction.

But the blowback persists, straining Biden’s political coalition as he barrels toward a potential rematch with Donald Trump in November. Democratic lawmakers have warned Biden that he could lose Michigan, a crucial swing state with a large Arab population unless he recalibrates his approach to the war and shows more empathy for Palestinian lives.

Habash's path from enthusiastic campaign supporter to disillusioned official exemplifies the problem Biden faces.

He wrote that he “actively” campaigned for Biden in the 2020 election and helped shape the president’s platform on education issues. When Biden took office, Habash added that he was one of the first political appointees to arrive in the education building.

In a press statement two weeks after Biden’s swearing-in, the Education Department described Habash and other political appointees as a “diverse and accomplished” group.

What began on that hopeful note ended with Habash's letter criticizing the Biden administration for putting “millions of innocent lives in danger."

"Therefore, I must resign."

Peter Nicholas is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Senior education official cites Biden's 'blind eye to the atrocities' in Gaza as reason for resignation (nbcnews.com)

***

Arab, Muslim Americans could abandon Biden, Democrats, warn advocates

BY CHEYANNE M. DANIELS -

The Hill, 12/13/23

Alarms are growing louder for Democrats over the potential that Muslim American and Arab American voters could shun them in next year’s presidential election.

Muslim Americans and Arab Americans have expressed growing anger over President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, with many leaders in the community warning they won’t vote for Biden next year, even if the GOP alternative is former President Trump.

“The responses of many on this issue within the Palestinian American community, the broader Arab community, is really a sense of betrayal,” Yousef Munayyer, policy analyst and senior fellow at the Arab Center in Washington, told The Hill.

These voters could have an outsized impact on some, states, too, such as Michigan — a swing state with a significant Arab American population.

A spokesperson for the Biden reelection campaign told The Hill the president is working with leaders in the Muslim and Palestinian communities, including on countering rising Islamophobia.

“President Biden knows the importance of earning the trust of every community, of upholding the sacred dignity and rights of all Americans,” the spokesperson said in a statement.  

“The President and this administration have been unequivocal: there is no place for Islamophobia, xenophobia, or any of the vile racism we have seen in recent weeks.”

Arab American support for Democrats in general seems to have been waning over the past few years. 

A 2017 report from the Pew Research Center found about two-thirds of Muslim voters lean Democratic. But Trump’s support among Muslim voters increased 4 percent between 2016 and 2020, according to exit polling from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the most high-profile American-Islamic advocacy groups.

The Biden spokesperson sought to contrast the Democratic administration with Trump, who memorably introduced a travel ban on several predominantly Muslim nations in his first days in office.

“As MAGA Republicans continue to run on an openly Islamophobic platform — including renewed support for Donald Trump’s Muslim ban — the stakes of next year’s election could not be more consequential,” the spokesperson said.

Biden’s support for Israel in the war has chafed at some Muslim Americans.

Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director for the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, said the administration’s continued unwavering support for Israel and denouncement of any criticism toward the Israel military show politicians on the wrong side of history — and that voters of color, particularly, see this as a pattern. 

“By the time the elections roll around in 2024, Palestinians and Arabs and folks who are concerned with Palestine have been having to set aside their feelings and vote, regardless of the party’s position on Palestine for quite some time,” Abuznaid told The Hill. “I think this time folks really feel betrayed by these political parties; they feel betrayed by these leaders in a way that maybe they hadn’t before.”

Munayyer said he doesn’t see Palestinian and Arab voters suddenly flocking to Trump and the GOP. Instead, voters could just stay home. 

“Biden was presented as the alternative to Trump, the way to sort of save democracy, the way to sort of safeguard the rights of minorities,” Munayyer said. “The decision that was placed before voters was really stark and characterized as a choice between protecting democracy and fascism. And for people who are watching these horrific crimes being carried out with U.S. support, they no longer see that difference as starkly as they used to.”

The Democratic Party has been divided over the war since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, which led to a bombardment of Gaza by Israel’s military.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American in Congress, has sought to pass legislation calling for a cease-fire, which has been opposed by other Democrats.

Last month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) joined House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) at a pro-Israel rally. 

In early November, the House voted 234-188 to censure Tlaib for her pro-Palestinian rhetoric, a move that in itself may have turned more Arab and Muslim Americans away from Biden and Democrats. 

Yet this may also be leading other Muslims to jump into the political arena in the hopes of joining Tlaib. During the 2022 midterm cycle, 146 Muslim candidates ran for public office. Eighty-two were elected, according to CAIR. 

“Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in at least state-based representatives and others elected on the local level that have been of Palestinian heritage or are Palestinian and I expect no differently in 2024,” Abuznaid said. 

The risks for Democrats go beyond Arab American voters.

Advocates are warning that the Democratic Party could also lose wide-ranging support from young voters and voters of color.

At protests around the country, Muslim Americans have been joined by young people, Black Americans and Jewish Americans who disagree with the Israeli government’s policies.

“One of the problems that the Democrats have, particularly elected officials in Congress, they’re falling in line behind the president on this issue that has become a partisan issue over the last 15 years or so,” Munayyer said. “In the process, they’ve thrown the Palestinian American community under the bus and … a much wider group of constituents who care about this issue and I think it’s going to have devastating consequences for the President and for Democrats.”

It’s not too late for Biden to reengage these voters, but Munayyer warns it won’t be easy. 

“It’s really hard for people to forget what they’re seeing. This is not a question of a candidate who maybe doesn’t support three out of my five preferred policy issues, it’s a candidate that’s backing my dehumanization and the murder of thousands of members of my people and family,” he explained. 

Arab, Muslim Americans could abandon Biden, Democrats, warn advocates | The Hill 

***

Joe Biden Campaign Volunteers Are Quitting in 'Droves'

Newsweek, Jan 03, 2024

 By Kaitlin Lewis Night Reporter

A group of staffers working on President Joe Biden's reelection campaign warned the president that his volunteers are quitting "in droves" over his handling of Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip.

Biden has faced immense pressure from members of his own party over the United States' policies in light of the surprise Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in roughly 240 hostages, including some Americans. In response, Israel launched an extensive air and ground offensive in Gaza, killing nearly 22,000 Palestinians over the past several weeks, according to Gaza health officials cited by the Associated Press (AP).

In a letter published Wednesday on Medium, an anonymous group of Biden's campaign staffers demanded the president call for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing concerns that not shifting his policy on the issue could hurt his 2024 chances.

"Like so many others, we continue to be devastated by Hamas's attack against Israeli civilians on October 7th—it was a vile assault, one that touched the consciousness of the country," the letter read.

"The subsequent killing of 20,000 Palestinian civilians, however, has struck the same societal nerve," the message continued. "We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past by allowing the actions of Hamas to justify such further violence against civilians."

The campaigners cited a recent poll published by The New York Times, which found that a majority of Democratic voters (64 percent) believe that Israel should "stop its military campaign in order to protect against civilian casualties, even if Hamas has not been fully eliminated."

The same survey, which was published in mid-December and was based on the responses of 1,016 registered voters nationwide, found that 72 percent of voters under the age of 30 disapproved of Biden's handling of the conflict, which the letter noted is traditionally a "key Democratic voting bloc."

"Biden for President staff have seen volunteers quit in droves, and people who have voted blue for decades feel uncertain about doing so for the first time ever, because of this conflict," the Medium letter read.

"It is not enough to merely be the alternative to Donald Trump," the campaigners continued. "The campaign has to shift the feeling in the pits of voters' stomachs, the same feeling that weighs on us every day as we fight for your reelection. The only way to do that is to call for a ceasefire."

"You have said numerous times that silence in the face of human rights violations is complicity," the letter added "We agree, which is why we are speaking out now. Every minute that passes without a ceasefire is another life that is lost—a life that could have been saved with political action from you."

The staffers' letter comes on the same day a U.S. Department of Education policy adviser told the Associated Press that they submitted their resignation in protest of the president's handling of the war in Gaza. Tariq Habash, who was appointed by the Biden administration, told the outlet that he submitted his resignation after he had "done everything imaginable" to register his objection to administration leaders within the systems in place.

According to the Associated Press, Habash is the second known Biden official to resign in protest. Josh Paul, former director of congressional and public affairs for the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, resigned in October when the president ordered the acceleration of arms transfers to Israel.

Biden has also faced criticism over his policies regarding Israel from former staffers of ex-President Barack Obama, White House interns and staffers and appointees of his own administration. According to the progressive Working Families Party, 64 members of Congress—all Democrats—have also called for a ceasefire or cessation of Israel's military actions in Gaza.

Despite the pushback, a poll conducted exclusively for Newsweek by Redfield and Wilton Strategies in mid-December found that support for the president's response for the Israel-Hamas war had increased among young voters, up by 5 percentage points when compared to a similar poll conducted in October.

Joe Biden campaign volunteers are quitting in "droves" (newsweek.com)

***

Biden administration staff sign open letter demanding cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war

NBC News, Nov. 14, 2023, 8:44 AM EST

By Allie Raffa and Summer Concepcion

Hundreds of federal employees signed an open letter calling on the president to "urgently demand a ceasefire" and the de-escalation of the conflict through the release of hostages and provision of humanitarian aid. Some aides are worried President Joe Biden hasn’t shown enough empathy for Palestinian civilians and a Muslim community facing anger at home.  

More than 400 employees of President Joe Biden's administration have signed an open letter demanding he pursue a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war that has killed thousands of civilians thus far.

“We represent a coalition of Biden-Harris Administration political appointees and civil servants, positioned across the domestic and foreign policy spheres, working in federal agencies, departments, independent agencies, and the White House,” the letter, released Tuesday, begins.

“We call on President Biden to urgently demand a ceasefire; and to call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians; the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services; and the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip,” it continued.

The letter says the signatories represent various backgrounds and faiths and work in more than 30 departments and agencies.

Two administration staff members who led outreach efforts for the letter told NBC News that since the letter was first circulated about two weeks ago, it has gained the signatures of senior and low-level administration employees working across the federal government and in multiple countries. They include staff in the departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, Homeland Security and the Executive Office of the President, among other agencies.

The two staff members, who are political appointees, asked to remain anonymous out of concern about retaliation for speaking out against the administration’s position. They said those who signed the letter also remained anonymous out of concern for their job security and personal safety.

The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.

The letter is the latest addition to growing calls on the Biden administration to demand a cease-fire and reassess its handling of Israel’s war with Hamas.

"Every day, you’re going in to work for this administration, then you’re going to look at your phone, you’re going to see the suffering that you kind of feel like you’re causing … a lot of people are no longer comfortable being silent, no longer comfortable being complacent in a way.”

ADMINISTRATION STAFF MEMBER

Since the war began after Hamas' brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, several efforts have launched from within the government to push for the de-escalation of the conflict, including letters from hundreds of Biden's former 2020 campaign staff and Muslim and Jewish congressional employees. The congressional staff urged Congress to support a cease-fire in light of “antisemitism, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian sentiment on the rise nationwide.”  

“It’s unfortunate that we’re at this point," one of the Biden administration staff members told NBC News. "Having hundreds and thousands of people come together within this administration and within Congress and say we are calling for a cease-fire, something that’s so basic to just end human suffering.”

The two are among what they said are many signatories with family and friends in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.

“Our loved ones are in imminent danger and every single day, waking up and not knowing what’s going to happen is absolute hell,” one staffer told NBC News. The dissonance "of going to work every day and feeling like you are a part of something that is actively harming people you love was expressed by so many people involved in this.”

The staffers told NBC that based on what they’ve experienced personally and heard from colleagues in the White House and across several government agencies, they believe there is a lack of direction of how staffers are supposed to talk about Israel’s war with Hamas.

“Some agencies have had specific meetings about this … and in some places it has been completely taboo to even talk about this,” one said. “I’ve heard it expressed among staffers of all levels that they feel a lack of guidance for how to talk about this, how to manage people suffering because of this."

"A lot of people feel quite alone and frustrated,” the staffer added.

Both described a disconnect between what is coming out of the senior levels of the administration and what they and their colleagues are feeling. 

“A lot of us are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president, a lot of us came from his campaign,” one staffer said. “So there’s this uneasy feeling of not agreeing with what we’re working on.”

More than 50 employees of the Democratic National Committee, which handles much of Biden’s campaign fundraising efforts, anonymously signed an open letter this month urging their leadership to demand that Biden seek a cease-fire as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on.

Amid internal and external criticism over Biden’s response to the war, the administration has ramped up outreach to Arab, Palestinian and Muslim Americans in hopes of explaining its approach to the conflict, as some aides worried Biden hadn’t shown enough empathy for Palestinian civilians and a Muslim community facing anger at home. 

“Efforts to rebuild communities before calling for a ceasefire are going to fall on deaf ears because until that’s being called, nothing will be seen as genuine. There’s no way to escape this conversation,” one of the administration staff members who led their letter’s outreach efforts told NBC. “Every day, you’re going in to work for this administration, then you’re going to look at your phone, you’re going to see the suffering that you kind of feel like you’re causing … a lot of people are no longer comfortable being silent, no longer comfortable being complacent in a way.”

The Biden administration staffer told NBC News that they and some administration colleagues they’ve spoken with have considered resigning because of the administration’s handling of the war up to this point. A veteran State Department official, Josh Paul, resigned last month, citing what he called the U.S.’ “blind support” for Israel in its war with Hamas and its continued “provision of lethal arms to Israel.”

“These are people who really want to serve the public, including people who want to serve the president,” the staffer said. “But it’s going to push people to a breaking point if this continues.” 

“There’s been a lot of damage done within the public service community, and I’m not sure how we are going to repair that,” the second staffer said. “The U.S. government has an immense amount of power to change the status quo on the ground and the refusal to acknowledge that feels like a betrayal.”

Both told NBC News they would be watching to see whether Biden acknowledges the March for Israel, a pro-Israel rally expected to draw tens of thousands of people to Washington on Tuesday. 

On Nov. 4, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched from Washington’s Freedom Plaza to the White House calling for a cease-fire and an end to the siege on Gaza. Biden was at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home the weekend of the march.

“There is growing dissent across his administration, from people close to him,” one of the administration staffers said. “This is his own alum from the campaign, from within his own administration. … A complete disregard for that would send a really clear and unwelcoming message.”

Allie Raffa is an NBC News White House correspondent based in Washington, D.C.

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Biden administration staff sign open letter demanding cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war (nbcnews.com)

***

Dear President Biden, we need a ceasefire now.

Biden Campaign Staff for Ceasefire Now

Medium, January 3, 2024

Dear President Biden,

We write to you as the current staff of your re-election campaign. As we work to mobilize voters to cast their ballots for you in 2024, we must take a moment to acknowledge our tremendous grief, and the grief shared by countless other Americans, toward the violence occurring in Gaza.

We joined this campaign because the values that you — and we — share are ones worth fighting for. Justice, empathy, and our belief in the dignity of human life is the backbone of not only the Democratic Party, but of the country. However, your administration’s response to Israel’s indiscriminate bombing in Gaza has been fundamentally antithetical to those values — and we believe it could cost you the 2024 election. Therefore, we join your 2020 campaign alumni in imploring you to:

Publicly call for — and use financial and diplomatic leverage to bring about — an immediate, permanent ceasefire; Advocate for de-escalation in the region, including demanding that Hamas release all hostages and that Israel release the over 2,000 Palestinians in administrative detention being held without charge; End unconditional military aid to Israel; Investigate whether Israel’s actions in Gaza violate the Leahy Law, prohibiting U.S. military aid from funding foreign military units implicated in the commission of gross violations of human rights; Take concrete steps to end the conditions of apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing that are the root causes of this conflict.

Like so many others, we continue to be devastated by Hamas’s attack against Israeli civilians on October 7th — it was a vile assault, one that touched the consciousness of the country. The subsequent killing of 20,000 Palestinian civilians, however, has struck the same societal nerve. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past by allowing the actions of Hamas to justify such further violence against civilians.

Israel’s attacks in Gaza have had one of the highest civilian death tolls of any conflict in decades. Children have been caught in the center of it, many of them killed by bombs made in St. Charles, MO. In the past 88 days, over 1% of the population of Gaza — including countless women, children, and premature babies — have been killed, while almost 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. There is no safe place for innocent civilians to go, no shelter, and no humanitarian assistance. What we are witnessing in Gaza, as highlighted by countless experts from around the world, is a genocide.

You have said numerous times that silence in the face of human rights violations is complicity. We agree, which is why we are speaking out now. Every minute that passes without a ceasefire is another life that is lost — a life that could have been saved with political action from you. As your staff, we believe it is both a moral and electoral imperative for you to publicly call for a cessation of violence.

The majority of Democrats support an end to Israel’s military campaign. Americans, especially young Americans, feel extraordinarily passionate about this issue. In fact, 72% of voters under 30 — a key Democratic voting bloc — disapprove of your handling of the conflict in Gaza.

Biden for President staff have seen volunteers quit in droves, and people who have voted blue for decades feel uncertain about doing so for the first time ever, because of this conflict. It is not enough to merely be the alternative to Donald Trump. The campaign has to shift the feeling in the pits of voters’ stomachs, the same feeling that weighs on us every day as we fight for your reelection. The only way to do that is to call for a ceasefire.

This Administration’s profound sense of empathy is one of the reasons we felt inspired to join your reelection campaign. Now, we have faith that you will listen to the two-thirds of the country and three-quarters of our fellow Democrats who support a ceasefire. Complicity in the death of over 20,000 Palestinians, 8,200 of whom are children, simply cannot be justified. Only with an end to violence can we achieve a real and lasting peace that upholds the right to self-determination, safety, and freedom for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

Sincerely,

17 Biden for President Staffers

Dear President Biden, we need a ceasefire now. | by Biden Campaign Staff for Ceasefire Now | Jan, 2024 | Medium

***

Voters say they have lost faith in the Biden administration for not calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

The majority of Americans support a ceasefire in Gaza, and some say they won’t vote in the next presidential election

by Alexandra Martinez

Prism, November 6th, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. -

Voters across the country say they will abstain from voting in the 2024 presidential election if President Joe Biden does not call for a ceasefire in Gaza amidst the State of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinian people. Despite public cries for a ceasefire from human rights organizations like the United Nations (UN) and Amnesty International, the Biden administration has doubled down on support for the Israeli military and refused to support a “humanitarian truce” at the UN on Oct. 26. Voters and advocates say the decision will have electoral implications for Muslim American, Jewish American, and Democratic communities across the country.

“If I had any idea of voting for Joe Biden, I certainly will not be doing so now,” said Aldair Labrada, a Cuban American voter in Miami. “Not only because his administration has proven to be against any form of ceasefire, but because he said that we cannot be sure that this many [Palestinians] have died. And honestly that’s just very saddening to me because it normalizes what is going on.”

A recent survey from Data for Progress conducted from Oct. 18 to 19 found that a majority of Americans support a ceasefire. According to the data, 80% of Democrats, 57% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans support a ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza. Throughout October and early November, thousands of pro-Palestinian liberation protesters shut down train stations in New York City and Philadelphia, closed off highways, and conducted sit-ins at senators’ offices, often leading to mass arrests. On Nov. 4, tens of thousands of people participated in the National March on Washington D.C. for Palestine, decrying Biden’s support of the occupation state; thousands more took to the streets across other U.S. cities on the same day.

“I have not made up my mind as to which way I will vote,” Labrada said. “But I can definitely say that [with] this situation and how the past couple weeks have unfolded, I am much less likely to support the Democratic Party or the Republican Party for that matter.”

On Nov. 1, Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to issue a “humanitarian pause” on the relentless warfare that has killed thousands of Palestinians, many being young children. The statement came after he was interrupted by a protester who yelled out for a ceasefire. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that Biden’s new ambassador to Israel will be tasked with supporting a humanitarian pause for the sake of Palestinian civilians. 

According to Wa’el Alzayat, the CEO of Emgage—an organization that mobilizes and educates Muslim American voters—voters are heartbroken.

“This is an unpopular war,” Alzayat said. “The longer this goes on, the more likely this will fracture the Democratic base.”

A post-election poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that 69% of Muslim American voters backed Biden in 2020. In a time where polls have been very tight in key battleground states like Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the hundreds of thousands of Muslim, Arab American, and Palestinian-allied voters could make a difference. 

“The concern is now that many may just abstain from voting for the top of the ticket for presidential,” Alzayat said. “That can have real consequences in terms of who wins the presidential race.”

Other potential election candidates include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican party, who previously stated that the U.S. should not accept any Palestinian refugees and that all Palestinians were “antisemitic.” 

Alzayat said many Muslim Americans may also favor a third-party candidate.

“I think the community will think long and hard about these choices, because even sitting out the election is a decision that may empower forces that are not any way good for America or for Muslims or Arabs or even for Palestinians,” Alzayat said. “What’s needed right now is the sooner we get to a ceasefire, the more I think everyone can assess where do we go from here.”

Alzayat also said the Biden administration needs to implement sustainable policies toward Gaza going forward to address the continued expansion of settlements, the ongoing siege of Gaza, and the lack of any credible political process.

“I think all of those areas need to be addressed by the U.S., whether through its leadership or through the amount of support it provides [the] Israeli government, and to leverage that in a better way in support of those objectives,” said Alzayat. “I think people need to see … real commitments and real steps on all of these activities, settlements, settler violence, a seizure, and a political track.”

Alexandra Martinez is the Senior News Reporter at Prism. She is a Cuban-American writer based in Miami, Florida, with an interest in immigration, the economy, gender justice, and the environment. Her work... More by Alexandra Martinez

Voters say they have lost faith in Biden for not calling for a ceasefire in Gaza (prismreports.org)

***

Progressives double down on calls for cease-fire despite Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Now progressives, who remain critical of the U.S. stance in the war, have to navigate pushing Biden their way immediately after he brokered the greatest diplomatic breakthrough of the early 50-day conflict.

By JOE GOULD, ALEXANDER WARD and CONNOR O’BRIEN

Politico, 11/22/2023

Progressives aren’t backing down from their push for a longer cease-fire in Gaza, despite a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that will pause the fight for four to five days.

For weeks, those lawmakers have denounced the administration’s Israel policy, calling on President Joe Biden to demand a cease-fire and impose conditions on military aid to the U.S. ally. But Biden and his top aides, who agree Israel’s military should uproot Hamas from Gaza, insisted the only way to improve the situation was with a hostage deal. Only then, the administration argued, would there be a pause in fighting that made it safer to bring hostages home and increase life-saving aid to Palestinians.

Now progressives, who remain critical of the U.S. stance in the war, have to navigate pushing Biden their way immediately after he brokered the greatest diplomatic breakthrough of the early 50-day conflict.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), one of Biden’s most strident critics in favor of a cease-fire, was not satisfied with the pause in fighting and pointed to the toll of Palestinians killed or displaced in Gaza. She was among two-dozen lawmakers who, in a letter last week, urged Biden to establish a cease-fire.

“A temporary pause in the violence is not enough. We must move with urgency to save as many lives as possible and achieve a permanent cease-fire agreement,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

“When this short-term agreement expires, the bombing of innocent civilians will continue. We need a permanent cease-fire that saves lives, brings all the hostages and those arbitrarily detained home, and puts an end to this horrific violence.”

The term “cease-fire” has been adopted by those who want to see fighting stopped indefinitely. That is not the Biden administration’s position, which says it supports a “pause,” a temporary halt to hostilities. Both definitionally mean the same thing, though there are some legal distinctions.

State Dept.: Hostage deal would 'unlock' potential for more Gaza aid

But in the context of the Israel-Hamas war, the difference is political, meant to distinguish between those who want to end the fighting and those who think breaks are needed to provide more humanitarian aid and secure the release of hostages.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has said a cease-fire would help Hamas but also called for conditions on future military aid to Israel, sketched out a path to better Israeli-Palestinian relations in a Wednesday New York Times op-ed.

“We must demand an immediate end to Israel’s indiscriminate bombing,” he wrote. “There must also be a significant, extended humanitarian pause so that badly needed aid — food, water, medicine and fuel — can get into Gaza and save lives.”

The hostage deal is a “promising first step,” Sanders said.

Biden’s clash with the left flank of his party is a problem the president will need to navigate as he looks to keep Democrats united behind him in next year’s election while preventing the conflict from spreading elsewhere in the Middle East.

Democrats on Capitol Hill have also begun to discuss possible conditions for future military aid to Israel. Though those talks are preliminary, the possibility that more Democrats are openly calling for placing conditions on U.S. security assistance will complicate Biden’s task.

One Senate Democrat, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said there are no signs progressives will ramp down the fight for their priorities on Israel and Gaza.

The bulk of Democrats still oppose a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. And the question remains as to whether progressives can bring more mainstream Democrats over to their side.

Another cease-fire advocate, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), on social media credited the pause to “the power of diplomacy” and to “our collective advocacy,” adding: “We must keep pushing for a permanent #CeasefireNOW to save lives, return all hostages, & end this horrific violence.”

Progressive PAC Justice Democrats said in order for peace, Washington must end “its unconditional political and financial support for a far-right government,” including Biden’s proposed $14 billion in military aid for Israel. Executive Director Alexandra Rojas said pressure for a cease-fire led to the deal announced Tuesday.

“This was only achieved because millions of people in this country and around the world have rallied and continue to demand a permanent cease-fire, led by a small group of progressive anti-war champions in Congress that we are proud to endorse,” Rojas said in a statement.

Other Democrats said the agreement validated Biden’s reluctance to press Israel to institute a cease-fire.

“I’m also thankful [Biden] did not heed calls for an immediate cease-fire weeks ago, as Israel could not have achieved this breakthrough had one occurred,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said Tuesday night on social media. “A unilateral cease-fire only serves Hamas terrorists, who broke a cease-fire on Oct. 7th — and vow to do so again and again.”

Qatar's lead negotiator: Hostages will be released 'systematically'

Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) had supported a pause in the fighting and argued a cease-fire would benefit Hamas. On Tuesday, he hailed the deal and emphasized the plight of American and Israeli hostages and their families in a statement, calling for the immediate release of all Hamas’s captives.

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“The agreement reached today to release some hostages is a hopeful signal for some of the American and Israeli families whose lives have been shattered in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack against Israel,” Cardin said. “It also allows for a multi-day pause to allow for the increased delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza, which we also see as critical to be clear that Israel’s fight is with Hamas, not with innocent Palestinians in Gaza.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the second senator to call for a cease-fire after Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), hailed the new agreement but called it “a temporary cease-fire.” He was using language of those who want fighting to stop indefinitely, and not the wording the U.S. and Israel use, which is “pause.”

“I also hope that the cease-fire can provide an opportunity to negotiate extending the temporary cease-fire and working toward an enduring cease-fire,” Merkley said in a statement Tuesday.

Before a longer cease-fire can be realized, he said, “many challenges have to be resolved.” Those include the release of all the hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, an end to Hamas control of Gaza, a huge influx of aid and Israel committing to the right of Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes.

Still, there were small signs that the agreement may have muted calls for a cease-fire among other Democrats.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a lead House progressive, made no mention of a cease-fire in his message Tuesday night.

“Congrats to [Biden],” Pocan said on social media. “Today’s deal to release some of the hostages in Gaza, allow humanitarian aid to enter, and pause the violence will bring us one step closer to hopefully ending this devastating conflict.”

Progressives double down on calls for cease-fire despite Israel-Hamas hostage deal - POLITICO

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Biden, facing backlash over war in Gaza, is losing support from some young Black voters

Deborah Barfield BerryJoey Garrison

USA TODAY, December 18, 2023

WASHINGTON —

Demetrius Briscoe voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but the senior at Bowie State University, a historically Black university in Maryland, is on the fence about whether he will support the president next year.

Briscoe, 25, doesn’t think many of his peers will vote for Biden because he hasn’t demanded a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas War that has left thousands of Palestinian civilians injured or dead.

“He's really putting a stain on his presidency that I don't think will be easily washed away," said Briscoe, adding that Biden and fellow Democrats in Maryland should urge more action. “If the Democrats call for a cease-fire it may save the Democratic Party from, I think, a wave of young people not voting for them.’’

One issue expected to haunt Biden with younger Black voters like Briscoe is whether he has done enough to demand more protections for Palestinians, some young people and political experts said. They argue Biden’s positions, including not calling for an immediate cease-fire, could cost him support from African Americans, traditionally a loyal voting bloc for Democrats.

One place where there are early signs of waning support is among young Black people, experts said.

“There is a moral imperative that Biden is choosing to ignore, and it can very well cost him and down ticket candidates the election," said Jason Williams, associate professor of justice studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Biden has opposed calls for a cease-fire, arguing an outcome with Hamas still in control of Gaza is unacceptable.

Although Biden has stood in solidarity with Israel since it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, his administration has started to shift its tone, becoming more critical about how Israel is carrying out its war amid the rising number of Palestinian civilian casualties.

Some young people said that’s not enough.

Across the country, there have been thousands of pro-Palestinian rallies with nearly 30% of them on college campuses, according to a recent report by a consortium at Harvard University.

At a rally in October at Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, students slammed Biden for not calling for a cease-fire and complained he hasn’t done enough to help Palestinians. Some said they won't vote for him next year. Some are considering alternatives.

Delaney Leonard, a 19-year-old sophomore at Howard who helped organize the rally, said she has no intention of voting for Biden. She doesn’t think she’s alone.

“It's definitely going to play a factor into people making their voting decisions,” Leonard said.

Young people see the impact of 'America's war machine'

One major challenge Biden faces is trying to counter narratives shared on social media about the war, said Keesha Middlemass, an associate professor of political science at Howard University.

“Young people are finally seeing the impact of America’s war machine," said Middlemass, adding that some are concerned about the nation’s support of Israel. “That's what students are so fearful of ‒ is this blind loyalty without consideration of the rights of Palestinians to exist?”

When asked in October about pushback to Biden’s policy in Israel, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the president is “always concerned and wants to hear how different communities feel about the work that he’s doing.”

In recent weeks, the Biden administration has taken a sharper tone with Israel amid the mounting loss of civilians in Gaza.

During a Dec. 2 speech in Dubai, Vice President Kamala Harris said "international humanitarian law must be respected" and that "too many innocent Palestinians have been killed."

The White House last week pressed Israel to find a point to wind down its air and ground campaign in Gaza, but Israeli officials have said it will still take "several months" to defeat Hamas and end the war.

In Biden’s most direct criticism of Israel since the war began, he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is "starting to lose" international support in its war against Hamas because of its "indiscriminate bombing" in Gaza.

African Americans have history of solidarity with Palestinians

For some African Americans, there’s a sense of solidarity with Palestinians.

Khadirah Muhammad, a senior at Georgia State University, remembers seeing on social media the Black Lives Matter murals in Gaza and watching Palestinians demonstrating during the 2020 George Floyd protests. For her, it was a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians also in the struggle for freedom.

"I just feel like it’s necessary to speak up when things are wrong," said Muhammad, 22, who joined a pro-Palestinian rally on campus in October. "It’s really heartbreaking."

Williams pointed to other instances where Palestinians supported African Americans during social justice protests, including over the deaths of Michael Brown in Missouri and Trayvon Martin in Florida.

"It’s bringing about a kind solidarity that I don’t think we’ve seen since the George Floyd demonstrations," Williams said.

During the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, Jewish faith leaders, students and activists were key supporters of African Americans. But for decades, some segments of the African American community have expressed strong support for Palestinians.

The turning point was in the 1960s with the Black Power wing of the Black Freedom struggle, said Michael R. Fischbach, professor of history at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and author of "Black Power and Palestine Transnational Countries of Color."

Fischbach said he’s not surprised younger African Americans feel empathy for Palestinians. He said several factors connect them, including a sense of kinship in this “global gated community," a pushback against what they believe is settler colonialism and shared experiences of living in segregated communities.

“A lot of young people, notably of color in this country, can instinctively identify with Palestinians because it resembles, again, the experience that they're seeing at home," Fischbach said.

Young Black voters looking for alternatives

Young people USA TODAY spoke with condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, but said Biden hasn't done enough to call out the toll on Palestinian civilians.

Briscoe said some young people are wary of backing Democrats because they don’t want to support a party that doesn't condemn what they call genocide.

The White House has taken exception to allegations that Israel is carrying out “genocide” against Palestinians. It has argued it is Hamas, not Israel, seeking the genocide of a group of people.

"This word ‘genocide’ is getting thrown around in a pretty inappropriate way by lots of different folks," John Kirby, a White House spokesman on national security matters, said last month. "What Hamas wants, make no mistake about it, is genocide. They want to wipe Israel off the map. They've said so publicly on more than one occasion."

Hannah Saxon, an 18-year-old freshman at North Carolina A&T University, will vote for the first time next year. She’s weighing who she will support. She said Biden’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict matters. She’s troubled by the deaths of so many Palestinian civilians, whom she called “the underdogs.”

Saxon said she doesn’t want to vote for Democrats simply because African Americans traditionally support them. "You want to do it because you believe in this person and they'll do the right thing for this country," she said, but adding, "If Trump is running again, Biden is the better choice."

Pro-Palestinian rallies draw young people

Young people like Muhammad at Georgia State have joined rallies across the country.

There were 2,357 pro-Palestinian protests, rallies, demonstrations, vigils and other actions in the U.S. between Oct. 7 and Dec. 10, according to the Crowds Counting Consortium, an initiative of the Nonviolent Action Lab at Harvard University.

Of those, 652 or nearly 28% were on college campuses.

The consortium recorded 450 pro-Israel actions during the same period.

In a major warning sign for Biden, recent polling shows Biden is underperforming with Black voters.

A poll conducted in November by GenForward, operated by the University of Chicago, found that 63% of Black voters plan to vote for Biden in 2024, compared to 17% who said they will vote for Trump if he is the nominee. Biden carried Black voters by a 92%-8% margin over Trump in 2020. But despite the strong support for Biden, Black voters do not have monolithic political views.

In the same poll, 16% of Black voters said they are more sympathetic of Palestinians than Israelis in the conflict, compared to 13% of Black voters who said they are more sympathetic to Israelis. Thirty-nine percent of Black voters said they are sympathetic to both groups and 32% said they did not know. 

Muhammad, who has voted for Democrats in the past, said she doesn’t feel pressed to support Democrats, whom she called "weak willed."

“Not that I want to see a Donald Trump presidency again," she said. “But honestly, a Joe Biden presidency, I can’t see myself voting for him."

Muhammad said she’s looking at alternatives. "I like to vote with integrity," she said.

Young Black voters cool on Biden as calls for cease-fire in Gaza grow (usatoday.com)

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