500 Former Campaign Staffers Ask Biden to Take a Tougher Stance on Israel: Status Quo ‘Deprives Palestinians of Peace, Security’

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More than 500 former staffers who worked for President Joe Biden’s campaign either directly or through the Democratic Party signed an open letter to the president on Monday calling on him to take a more hardline stance on Israel, saying he should hold the country “accountable for its actions.”

“We write to you as proud alumni of your campaign,” the group wrote in the letter. “We commend your efforts to broker a ceasefire. Yet, we also cannot unsee the horrific violence that unfolded in recent weeks in Israel/Palestine, and we implore you to continue using the power of your office to hold Israel accountable for its actions and lay the groundwork for justice and lasting peace.”

The group claimed the country turned the Gaza Strip into “an uninhabitable open-air prison,” and said Israel had refused “to consider a ceasefire … prolonging the violence of Hamas’s barrage of rockets.” Hamas, which the U.S. State Department classifies as a terrorist organization, has been launching missiles into the country since the beginning of the month.

The former staffers said they wanted Biden to “demand” that Israel take measures that include “allow[ing] a humanitarian corridor” in Gaza to deliver medical supplies, in addition to demanding an end to settlement expansion in the West Bank. They also called on Biden to investigate whether Israel’s military engaged in the “gross violations of human rights” defined by the Leahy Law, which prohibits U.S. aid from going to militaries engaged in such abuses.

“We joined your campaign to pursue a vision of a nation that believes that every person’s life and fundamental rights are valued,” the group added. “We remain committed to that vision and implore you to take action to ensure that Palestinians and Israelis are able to live in peace and security. Returning to the status quo is untenable, as it deprives Palestinians of peace, security, and self-determination.”

Biden said last week that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm American support for his country after Israel declared a ceasefire with militants last week.

“In my conversations with President Netanyahu, I commended him for his decision to bring the current hostilities to a close within less than 11 days,” Biden said. “I also emphasized what I’ve said throughout this conflict — the United States fully support Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks from Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorists groups.”

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