House Democrat Warns Biden to Be ‘Careful’ About His Rhetoric on Israel: He’s ‘Quite Far Away’ From the American People on This

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) warned that President Joe Biden’s support from Arab and Muslim-American voters could be at risk from the way his administration has handled the ongoing Israel-Hamas War.

Kristen Welker interviewed Jayapal on Sunday for Meet The Press — where the NBC host brought up reports of frustration from Arab-American voters because of Biden’s full-throated support of Israel. The president offered his sympathies to Israel ever since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, but despite Biden’s warnings against Islamophobic backlash, the reports suggest Muslim voters in the swing states might not support him because of his response to the conflict.

Between this and Biden’s primary challenge from Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Welker asked Jayapal if she is “concerned” about Biden’s 2024 chances. Jayapal answered by declaring herself “one of President Biden’s biggest supporters” — but after her praise, she expressed her own concern about his response to the conflict.

“He is, I think, going to be challenged to explain an issue of this moral significance to people,” she said. “The American people are actually quite far away from where the president and even Congress — the majority of Congress — has been on Israel and Gaza. They support the right for Israel to defend itself, to exist. But they do not support a war crime exchanged for another war crime. And I think the president has to be careful about that.”

Jayapal went on to implore Biden to lead America to “a higher place” where Americans can reconcile with the morality issue that shaped the histories of Israel and Gaza before the current conflict.

“I am certainly concerned about his approach to this,” Jayapal said. “The point is I want President Biden to be the next president, and he needs to call us to a higher moral place.”

Jayapal also took a disapproving view of Phillips’ primary bid, saying “I have no idea what he is running on that is different from what President Biden is running on… I really don’t see what he is doing.”

Watch above via NBC.

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