Axios by Alex Thompson, Andrew Solender 11/4/2023
Part of President Biden's political team is in turmoil over the Israel-Hamas war, as some aides see the White House as abetting an immoral attack on Palestinians — while others believe Biden is showing "moral clarity" in protecting Israel from terrorists.
Why it matters: The strife within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — which Biden is leaning on for his re-election campaign — reflects larger generational and political divisions among Democrats.
• Those divisions are chiefly between older pro-Israel Democrats and younger progressives who are more sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians.
• Their differences have been exposed by the war in Gaza that began Oct. 7, after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel killed 1,400 people. Israel's counter-attacks in Gaza have killed more than 9,000 people, the Palestinian Ministry of Health claims.
Zoom in: Some staffers at the DNC feel despondent about the scale and death toll from Israel's response, and one staffer said they are considering resigning, citing Biden's resolute support for Israel.
• A high-ranking DNC official who asked not to be identified told Axios: "The president centered his 2020 campaign on a 'Battle for the Soul of the Nation,' but it seems as though the administration is currently in a battle for its own soul."
• "I don't know how you can see supporting the large-scale killing of Palestinian civilians as anything but immoral," the official added.
More:
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/04/biden-2024-team-israel-hamas-war-election-dnc
