Mr Biden was interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip while speaking at a campaign event held at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, the site of a 2015 shooting.
“If you care about the lives lost here, you need to honor them by calling for a ceasefire in Palestine,” one protester shouted.
The protesters then chanted “immediate ceasefire”.
As the protesters were told to move, Biden supporters chanted “four more years.” The image underscored the divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel’s three-month campaign against Hamas in Gaza in response to the October 7 attack.
“I understand your passion and I have worked – am working with the Israeli government to reduce – fully withdraw from Gaza,” Mr. Biden said.
Following Mr Biden's remarks, his deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, said: “Of course the president is listening.”
“He is listening to all of his supporters. That is why he is here and that is why we will carry this message everywhere.”
Mr. Fulks said Mr. Biden has been “very firm” that “we need to respect their views and try to understand them even when they disagree with us on policy.”
Asked about protesters calling for a ceasefire, communications director Michael Tyler said Biden understood their passion.
President Biden, he said, is “considering this issue not just as a politician but as a human being and commander in chief with the considerations of someone who is always thinking about the safety of the American people and global security.”
In recent months, Biden administration officials have faced increasing internal disagreements over how the president should respond to the October 7 Hamas attack.
In November, more than 700 employees signed a letter asking President Biden to support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The letter was signed by employees from more than 30 departments and agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the FBI, and NASA.
Side note: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet face-to-face with the Israeli government on Tuesday. This will be his fifth visit to Israel since October 7.
His visit is significant because US allies have supported Israel since the start of the war, but criticism of the war has grown as the civilian death toll in Gaza has mounted. These partners will need evidence that Israel is listening to the US, and as tensions escalate in the region, allies will be hoping that Blinken can ensure Israel has a solid plan for how to end the war amid concerns about the potential for a wider conflict.
Over the past month, several Israeli officials have also received visits from US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Amos Hochstein, a special envoy for energy issues with close ties to Israel and Lebanon.
Nguyen Quang Minh (according to CNN/Photo: AFP)
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