Dr. Tah Ahmad, a Muslim emergency physician, said he left a meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday over disagreements over the Hamas-Israel war.
The symbolic move highlights deepening rifts within the Democratic Party’s cross-cutting coalition over the Palestinian conflict.
According to a recent Gallup poll, only 47% of Democrats approve of Biden’s handling of the Hamas-Israel war, down 13 points from October and significantly impacting Biden’s re-election chances. It became clear that there was a problem.
US President Joe Biden holds a press conference after his Israeli solidarity visit in Tel Aviv, October 18, 2023, as fighting continues between Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip (Brendan Smialowski/AFP, Getty Images) via).
Ahmad turned against Biden out of respect for his fellow Palestinians, he told NPR. He said the White House needed to do more to encourage Israel to stop defending itself against the terrorist organization Hamas. Mr. Ahmad argued that the region needs more humanitarian assistance from U.S. taxpayers.
“We’ve been there and seen how overcrowded Rafah is, how little aid is coming in, and the consequences of any kind of military activity there would be catastrophic.” Mr Ahmad said. Said.
The White House had originally planned to invite Islamic leaders to iftar to celebrate Ramadan. The company withdrew the plan after some people claimed it made them uncomfortable. Instead, the White House set up a small meeting with Muslims for Biden.
“I wanted to get that message across, but I also wanted it to be clear that what the White House has been doing so far is not enough,” she said.
Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr. Ahmad’s symbolic gesture was an act of free speech. “We understand that these are very difficult times,” she told reporters.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators repeatedly criticized Biden’s leadership in the Hamas-Israel war. “Fuck Joe Biden!” demonstrators chanted last week outside an event where Biden, along with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, raised millions of dollars. “Genocide Joe has to go!”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather for a “Manhattan Flood for Gaza” rally outside Radio City Music Hall, where U.S. President Joe Biden is attending a fundraiser for his re-election campaign, March 28, 2024 in New York. Participants (Photo provided by Leonardo Muñoz/AFP)
The words “war pigs” were written on placards held by demonstrators inside the venue. “Shame on you Joe Biden,” another person shouted. “He has blood on his hands,” one person shouted.
Breitbart News reported that pro-Palestinian activists are working in multiple states to block Biden’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. Such efforts are underway in New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.
