After a rabbi heckled President Joe Biden at a Democratic fundraiser Wednesday night calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, White House officials told the New York Times Thursday that the administration will put pressure on Israel for a brief cessation of hostilities in order to distribute humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians and allow for the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization.
The report said Secretary of State Antony Blinken will “urge” Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza to allow for aid to be delivered to Gaza, coupled with an opportunity for Hamas to release more of the 200 some hostages it took during its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, during which more than 1,400 people were killed.
Blinken, who met Wednesday with Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid to discuss humanitarian aid for Gaza and limit the spread of the conflict, is scheduled to visit Israel on Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the Times, Blinken plans to use the meeting to pressure Netanyahu into agreeing to a “pause” in operations.
Biden was attending a fundraiser of around 200 people in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wednesday night when a Jewish rabbi identifying herself as Jessica Rosenberg stood up and interrupted his remarks, The Hill reported.
“As a rabbi, I need you to call for a cease-fire right now,” she said in a video of the event posted on social media.
Biden said he believes there should be a “pause” in the hostilities and told the woman he was the one who talked to leaders on both sides to get the break in fighting that saw Hamas release a mother and daughter.
“I think we need a pause. A pause means give time to get the prisoners out,” Biden responded.
“I’m the guy that convinced Bibi [Netanyahu] to call for a cease-fire to let the prisoners out,” he said in response. “I’m the guy that talked to [Egyptian President] Sisi to convince him to open the door.”
Security escorted the heckler out of the event.
"This is incredibly complicated for the Israelis. It’s incredibly complicated for the Muslim world as well. … I supported a two-state solution; I have from the very beginning,” Biden said. “The fact of the matter is that Hamas is a terrorist organization. A flat-out terrorist organization.”
According to the Times, Biden is not calling for a longer cease-fire because he believes Hamas could use that time to recover from Israeli attacks in Gaza and regroup.
Charles Kim ✉
Charles Kim, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in reporting on news and politics.
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