President Biden told the audience at an event in North Carolina on Tuesday that the protesters had “a point” after he was interrupted by protesters angry about his approach to the war in Gaza. “We need to be more careful,” he added. Gaza. ”
Biden's remarks, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd at a community center gymnasium in Raleigh, came after the White House and Biden campaign spent weeks trying to keep pro-Palestinian protesters away from the president's events. Ta. spotlight on his domestic agenda.
On Tuesday, more than 200 people invited by the White House attended an event in Raleigh where Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the Affordable Care Act and the administration's medical record.
The interruption was from a group of about 6 people.
“What's going on with the health care in Gaza?” one person yelled, then another.
Mr. Biden paused. “Everyone has a right to health care,” he said.
Then many people started calling out all at once. Biden was silent for about 15 seconds. “Be patient with them,” he said.
There were more screams. One person shouted that Biden was “colluding.” Another said health centers in Gaza were “being bombed.”
“They have a point,” Biden said. “We need to pay much more attention to Gaza.”
The brief exchange was Biden's first direct interaction in weeks with protesters angered by his approach to the Israel-Gaza war. His recent campaign was a small, invite-only event, where he spoke only to his most ardent supporters. During a campaign event in Milwaukee this month, hundreds of protesters opposed to the war in Gaza were trapped a block away, and chants of “Massacre Joe” were heard inside the building where the Biden rally was being held. I did not hear.
In January, Biden was repeatedly interrupted by protesters in Gaza while speaking about abortion rights in Virginia. After the incident, he met privately with a small group of his supporters and urged them not to view the protesters as political opponents, saying they deserve sympathy and that their cause is “really important.” said.
Biden's recent comments on Gaza come at a particularly dangerous time for relations between the White House and the Israeli government. This week, the United States allowed the passage of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, after vetoing several previous proposals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by canceling a meeting scheduled in Washington between a high-level Israeli delegation and Biden administration officials.
And on Sunday, Vice President Harris, who is publicly more sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians than Mr. Biden, said in an interview with ABC News that it “would be a mistake” for Mr. Netanyahu to launch a military operation against Palestine. Stated. He has threatened the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Asked in an interview if there would be “consequences” if Israel invaded Rafah, Harris said: “I'm not ruling anything out.”
Biden's stop in North Carolina marked the end of a presidential tour of battleground states that began after this month's State of the Union address. His public appearances in seven other states went on uninterrupted.