The meeting takes place as Democratic support for President Joe Biden’s friend, Israel, has polarized the party and weakened his voter base ahead of the pivotal election in November.
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two other well-known liberal politicians who protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s massacre of besieged Palestinians in Gaza have met with President Joe Biden.
The meeting took place on Monday, as Democrats have become polarized over Biden’s backing of Israel’s war crimes in the blockaded enclave, weakening Biden’s support base ahead of November’s presidential election.
Following their return to the White House from an Earth Day ceremony in Virginia, Biden was spotted entering the Oval Office alongside Senators Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders, as well as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The politicians have been harshly critical of Israel’s behavior; last month, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “an unfolding genocide.”
Notwithstanding, the New York congressman said earlier this month that Biden should be reelected in light of his backing for Israel, citing a “vested interest in protecting democracy not just here domestically, but globally” in an interview with Zeteo.
“I discovered long ago that I should pay attention to that woman,” Biden remarked of Ocasio-Cortez in Virginia.
“We’re going to talk more about another part of the world, too.”
Regarding the topic of the meeting, neither the lawmakers nor the White House offered a statement.
Biden denounces “anti-Semitic demonstrations”
Biden had earlier on Monday declared his condemnation of “anti-Semitic protests” as well as “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
In recent months, his administration has given the humanitarian situation in Palestine more and more attention, but it hasn’t wavered in its commitment to providing Israel with unwavering military and diplomatic backing.
Human rights activists have noted an overall increase in incidences of prejudice and hate crimes directed towards Muslims and Arabs.
In its campaign of mass murder in Gaza, Israel has killed at least 34,151 Palestinians, 70 percent of them were newborns, children, and women, and injured over 77,084 more.
Eighty-five percent of Gaza’s population is internally displaced due to the Israeli conflict, and the UN reports that sixty percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Food, clean water, and medicine are in short supply.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), situated in The Hague, has accused Israel of genocide. In January, the ICJ issued an interim verdict directing Tel Aviv to cease genocidal crimes and take steps to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches residents in Gaza.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
