President Biden met with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D – N.Y.) and other liberal lawmakers on Monday, as internal disagreements within the Democratic party over his support for Israel’s response to the Hamas attack continue to escalate.
The meeting took place after Biden’s return from an Earth Day event in Virginia. Ocasio-Cortez, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-V.T.) and Ed Markey (D – Mass.) have all openly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza bombing campaign.
These lawmakers have previously voiced their opposition to Israel’s policies, with Ocasio-Cortez likening the humanitarian situation in Gaza to ‘an unfolding genocide.’ Despite these disagreements, Ocasio-Cortez has supported Biden’s reelection, emphasizing the need to safeguard democracy both at home and abroad.
This meeting occurs as Biden’s endorsement of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has created divisions within the Democratic party, potentially influencing Biden’s voter base ahead of the November presidential election.
The White House and the lawmakers have not disclosed the topics discussed during the meeting. Biden’s administration has maintained its backing for Israel, while increasingly highlighting the Palestinian humanitarian crisis. This follows Israel’s military offensive in response to the Hamas attack, which, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry, has led to the death of 34,000 Palestinians.
The meeting also comes in the wake of the resignation of Major General Aharon Haliva, the head of Israeli military intelligence, who took responsibility for the intelligence failures that led to a devastating Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023. Earlier in April, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza reportedly claimed the lives of three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, further escalating the conflict.
