This article has been updated to include how anti-Israel groups have taken note of First Lady Jill Biden's "stop it" remarks.
There's been plenty of "yikes" moments from the Biden White House as it applies to the Israel-Hamas conflict, especially as it's been looking increasingly like President Joe Biden isn't too thrilled with the Israeli war effort. But, other issues with the president are at play here, like First Lady Jill Biden's involvement. Bonchie at our sister site of RedState highlighted comments from the first lady, which the president himself revealed.
On Tuesday night, Biden met with Muslim leaders, though many boycotted and others walked out. A report about the event from The New York Times tellingly included the headline, "'Stop It Now': Jill Biden Privately Urges an End to Conflict in Gaza."
The opening paragraph, as well as the clean-up from the White House, seeks to clarify that Jill Biden specifically was "urging an end to civilian casualties in Gaza."
As the report mentions:
At a meeting with Muslim community members at the White House on Tuesday evening, one guest told President Biden that his wife had disapproved of him coming to the meeting because of Mr. Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
Mr. Biden replied that he understood. The first lady, he said, had been urging him to “Stop it, stop it now,” according to an attendee who heard his remarks.
Salima Suswell, the founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, recounted the scene in an interview, adding that she had scribbled down the president’s statements because it was so striking to hear that the first lady felt strongly about the conflict.
“He said she said, ‘Stop it, stop it now, Joe,’” Ms. Suswell said.
Then came the clarification:
Asked about the president’s remarks, White House officials on Wednesday said that there was no daylight between Mr. Biden and the first lady on the conflict and that the president was as outraged by the civilian casualties as his wife has been. The officials said the first lady was not calling for Israel to end its efforts against Hamas.
“Just like the president, the first lady is heartbroken over the attacks on aid workers and the ongoing loss of innocent lives in Gaza,” Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, said in a statement. “They both want Israel to do more to protect civilians.”
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Jill Biden's remarks were noticed by the anti-Israel group known as CODEPINK, with the group's cofounder, Medea Benjamin, sharing a video message to the president shared over X. Her message referenced the first lady's call to "stop it!"
The post referenced the anti-Israel United Nations and their court, the International Court of Justice, as well as claimed that "the majority of Americans" agree with their Hamas-sympathizing talking points of an immediate ceasefire.
As if the message weren't bad enough, the video begins with a cacophonous call of "Stop it, Joe!" They're also shown holding a sign quoting the first lady. "So we are here to stay listen to Jill Biden," with Benjamin claiming that Biden said "my wife says the same thing," with regards to the first lady's views on her husband's "policy around Gaza." The video concludes with a call to "stop the genocide!"
Biden won’t listen to the UN, the ICJ, or the majority of Americans. Will he even listen to his wife? Stop it now! @codepink pic.twitter.com/WcvE4nooBq
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) April 4, 2024
When it comes to putting an end to the loss of innocent life, Jill Biden and anyone else focusing on that ought to take it up with Hamas. Bonchie also made some telling points about the first lady's influence, or lack thereof, writing how "Her intrusion into the issue isn't surprising given her outsized influence within the administration nor is the arrogance with which she carries herself" and asking "how exactly can Joe Biden 'Stop it, stop it now?' Israelis get to decide how to propagate the war against the enemy that attacked their country. Joe Biden has no say in it, and to be frank, Jill Biden's opinion on the matter is worth absolutely nothing. She was not elected to any office, and her emotional outbursts are irrelevant."
Of course, this isn't the only way in which we've seen meddling from the United States into Israel's war efforts. Last month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave a speech on the Senate floor to call for new elections to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president later called it "a good speech" when asked about it.
It's also worth considering the context in which the remarks came. The event in question was initially supposed to be a dinner event, but reportedly became a "policy meeting" at the demands of the attendees.
There are members of Biden's anti-Israel base he is desperately trying to appeal to, who have sought to punish Biden for what support he has dared to show Israel, with that being reflected in the efforts to vote "uncommitted" in the Democratic presidential primaries.
There are also concerning matters when it comes to Democrats looking to even further pull back support for Israel, from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and, tellingly, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). He's a close ally of Biden and a co-chair for his reelection campaign.
As The New York Times report also mentions:
The first lady is not alone in urging her husband on. A number of Mr. Biden’s closest allies, including Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, have pressed the president to do more to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and bring the war to a close, including by supporting restrictions on military aid to the Israelis.
Mr. Biden has faced growing alarm among other Democrats about his support for the war, as well as letters of internal dissent, including objections from officials at some 40 government agencies.
And yet the report still claims Biden has shown "steadfast support" when it comes to lamenting speeches that the president, first lady, and others have given. It goes unmentioned how Biden has engaged with these pro-Hamas agitators, as he did in North Carolina when he said they "have a point."
"Mr. Biden’s steadfast support for Israel has made it more difficult for the first lady to do the kind of campaigning she has done over decades of marriage," the report laments.
Former White House staffers have been a problem too on this issue. We're not talking about some low-level staffer who quit because the Biden administration hasn't been engaging enough in "both sides." Former White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, as Mike Miller highlighted in another piece for RedState, went on CNN to claim that the death of seven aide workers from World Central Kitchen was "good for" the president. They had been accidentally killed by an IDF airstrike, which the IDF has apologized for and is conducting an investigation.
"Every instance of horror like this gives the Biden administration more opening to put clear contrast between what they're trying to do, what they would argue they're trying to do responsibly in the region, and what Netanyahu has been unwilling to do. I, I personally think it's good for them," Bedingfield claimed. She also mentioned how "I think the more space they can continue to draw between themselves and Bibi Netanyahu, and Netanhyahu's government, the better for them politically."
Last month, Bedingfield had also tried to outrageously spin that Biden had not apologized for using the term "illegal" to describe the alleged killer of 22-year-old Laken Riley, Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was in this country illegally from Venezuela and had prior arrests. Biden had said during an MSNBC interview that he regretted using the word and he should have said "undocumented."
Biden is also expected to have words with Netanyahu on Thursday about the accidental killing of World Central Kitchen aide workers at the hands of the IDF. According to a quote from an unnamed official in The New York Times piece, "Mr. Biden’s anger and frustration had hit a peak in recent weeks." This comes after Biden already issued a harsh statement on Tuesday.
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