By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden's handling of Israel's escalating invasion of the besieged Gaza Strip has been nothing short of "horrific," a Jewish-American activist who was detained last week following a Capitol Hill protest told Anadolu.
"It is absolutely unbearable to watch the way our government has enabled these atrocities to continue, is enabling genocide, is even talking about giving more aid to Israel, a blank check to perpetuate these horrific, horrific massacres, and genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people," said Leah Harris.
Harris was among roughly a dozen protesters briefly arrested following an Oct. 25 sit-in at US Senator Bernie Sanders' office demanding he endorse a cease-fire.
She said many activists "are so incredibly angry and sad and motivated" that they have "dropped everything" to devote themselves to "fighting" for Washington to push for a cease-fire.
Sanders, like Biden, has so far resisted the appeals, instead supporting "humanitarian pauses" to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and to facilitate the evacuation of civilians.
"To say that I'm disappointed would be the understatement of the year. I'm actually incredibly infuriated and sad that he has not taken a stand on this," said Harris.
"A pause is absolutely not sufficient. In this time, there can be no pause to genocide. It needs to be stopped, and it needs to be stopped right now."
Her comments came a day after a series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The strikes leveled entire apartment buildings and killed and wounded hundreds of Palestinian civilians. Israel says it was targeting a senior Hamas commander who helped plan the shocking Oct. 7 cross-border attack that has killed more than 1,500 Israelis.
In the aftermath of that attack, Biden has been staunch in Israel's defense, pledging to ensure that it has all the resources it needs to continue the war in Gaza with the aim of removing Hamas from power, and has asked Congress to provide Israel with an additional $14.3 billion in military assistance.
At least 9,061 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including over 3,700 children and more than 2,300 women, according to the enclave's Health Ministry.
- Biden 'absolutely jeopardizing his election in 2024'
Amid the soaring death toll, Harris said the Democratic Party is now "taking a position that's not fundamentally different than the Republicans," with Biden imperiling his 2024 election prospects by alienating key voter blocs.
"Biden is absolutely jeopardizing his election in 2024. I think this is going to really put a lot of pressure on the Democratic Party to figure out what it actually stands for, and to be responsive to the will of the people," she said.
"It's going to be a very, very difficult road for him to ever get any goodwill from these groups in the face of his inaction and in the face of his enabling and voicing support for Israel, and really not doing anything to stop this genocide."
The comments appear to be in line with recent polling showing a stark nosedive in support for the president among his fellow Democrats as he prepares to head into the thick of his 2024 re-election campaign.
A Gallup poll released last week shows Biden's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point during his nearly three years in office amid his handling of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. That includes an 11% blow among Democrats and an additional 4% of independent voters who have jumped ship.
"The daily results strongly suggest that Democrats' approval of Biden fell sharply in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and Biden’s promise of full support for Israel on the same day," Gallup said.
Biden's approval rating among Democrats stands at just 75%, substantially below the 86% average during his presidency.
Among Arab Americans, Biden's fall has been particularly pronounced. Support among the traditionally staunch Democratic voter base has plummeted from 59% to 17%, according to polling released this week by the Arab American Institute.
Without those key constituencies, a second term for former President Donald Trump could be more likely.
"The prospect of a second Trump presidency is absolutely terrifying, and I think as a voter, we are forced to choose between two very, very dismal prospects," said Harris.
"I can't say for sure how I am going to behave a year from now in November 2024, but it is incredibly infuriating and frustrating to witness the political process right now."