President Biden was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters during a speech in North Carolina, where he conceded that they “have a point” on the issue of healthcare in Gaza. The protesters shouted at Biden, questioning the health care in Gaza, to which Biden responded that everybody deserves health care and asked the audience to be patient with the protesters. Biden acknowledged the concern raised by the protesters and stated that more care needs to be provided in Gaza, before redirecting the conversation back to the subject at hand, healthcare in the United States.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident from Fox News Digital. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have been heckled multiple times over the past year regarding the conflict in Gaza, with critics accusing the administration of supporting genocide against the Palestinian people. In January, a protester shouted at Biden, asking how many kids he had killed. Biden has faced criticism from within his own party for his support of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
As Biden has tried to appease members of his party calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, tensions have grown between his administration and Israeli leadership, who canceled a visit to the U.S. after the U.S. did not veto a United Nations resolution calling for a cease-fire. Recent polling shows a sharp divide within the Democratic Party on the issue of Israel, with 42% of voters supporting the Palestinian side of the conflict and views on supporting Israel remaining mostly steady. Voters under age 30 are more likely to feel that the U.S. has been too supportive of Israel, with 47% of them feeling that way.
The conflict in Gaza has led to criticism of Biden’s handling of the situation, with approval of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war down 8 points among all voters and down 10 points among Democrats since November. The president has faced backlash from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups, with protesters interrupting his speeches and accusing his administration of supporting genocide. The issue has highlighted the ongoing tensions and divisions within the Democratic Party over the Israel-Palestine conflict, with differing views on the level of support the U.S. should provide to Israel. The recent incidents have underscored the challenges facing the Biden administration in navigating the complex and contentious issue of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
