Faction of aides enlisted for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid is expressing dissent on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In a missive initially disclosed to West Wing Playbook, 17 current Biden campaign staff members are directly urging the president to advocate for a lasting ceasefire in the prolonged conflict.
In the letter, posted anonymously on Medium, the staffers asserted, “As your staff, we believe it is both a moral and electoral imperative for you to publicly call for a cessation of violence. Complicity in the death of over 20,000 Palestinians, 8,200 of whom are children, simply cannot be justified.”
The letter also implores the president to terminate unconditional military assistance to Israel and calls for de-escalation in the region, including the liberation of hostages.
This development underscores internal divisions not only within the Democratic Party but also within the Biden campaign on how to approach the conflict. Over the past few months, numerous protest letters, often anonymous, have urged the president to support a ceasefire. In November, 500 political appointees and staff from 40 government agencies anonymously signed a letter, while another included over 500 alumni of Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. White House interns and Capitol Hill staffers have similarly sent letters expressing their concerns.
A campaign official refrained from commenting on a letter not yet received but emphasized President Biden’s unwavering position that Israel has the right and obligation to defend its people following the October 7 terrorist attack.
Organized by campaign staffers, the letter’s authenticity was confirmed by five of them who spoke to West Wing Playbook anonymously due to concerns of potential repercussions. Their motivation stemmed from a sense of moral responsibility and a fear that the president’s stance could impact his standing with voters. Despite their disagreement, they described their pushback as an expression of “tough love.”
The letter contends that the current approach has led to volunteers leaving in significant numbers. A CBS News/YouGov poll from December revealed that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the conflict.
“We’re reaching this point of no return where, as we’re working to get voters to support the president,” said a staffer, “It’s getting harder and harder to vote for him when they’re so disillusioned by his handling of this conflict.”
In their plea, the staffers emphasized the need for the campaign to shift the voters’ sentiment and called for a ceasefire to achieve that. They expressed optimism that President Biden can adjust his approach and invoked his own words from a 2021 speech, where he argued that remaining silent amid human rights violations makes one complicit.
faction of aides enlisted for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid is expressing dissent on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In a missive initially disclosed to West Wing Playbook, 17 current Biden campaign staff members are directly urging the president to advocate for a lasting ceasefire in the prolonged conflict.
In the letter, posted anonymously on Medium, the staffers asserted, “As your staff, we believe it is both a moral and electoral imperative for you to publicly call for a cessation of violence. Complicity in the death of over 20,000 Palestinians, 8,200 of whom are children, simply cannot be justified.”
The letter also implores the president to terminate unconditional military assistance to Israel and calls for de-escalation in the region, including the liberation of hostages.
This development underscores internal divisions not only within the Democratic Party but also within the Biden campaign on how to approach the conflict. Over the past few months, numerous protest letters, often anonymous, have urged the president to support a ceasefire. In November, 500 political appointees and staff from 40 government agencies anonymously signed a letter, while another included over 500 alumni of Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. White House interns and Capitol Hill staffers have similarly sent letters expressing their concerns.
A campaign official refrained from commenting on a letter not yet received but emphasized President Biden’s unwavering position that Israel has the right and obligation to defend its people following the October 7 terrorist attack.
Organized by campaign staffers, the letter’s authenticity was confirmed by five of them who spoke to West Wing Playbook anonymously due to concerns of potential repercussions. Their motivation stemmed from a sense of moral responsibility and a fear that the president’s stance could impact his standing with voters. Despite their disagreement, they described their pushback as an expression of “tough love.”
The letter contends that the current approach has led to volunteers leaving in significant numbers. A CBS News/YouGov poll from December revealed that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the conflict.
“We’re reaching this point of no return where, as we’re working to get voters to support the president,” said a staffer, “It’s getting harder and harder to vote for him when they’re so disillusioned by his handling of this conflict.”
In their plea, the staffers emphasized the need for the campaign to shift the voters’ sentiment and called for a ceasefire to achieve that. They expressed optimism that President Biden can adjust his approach and invoked his own words from a 2021 speech, where he argued that remaining silent amid human rights violations makes one complicit.
