According to the report, at a meeting with Muslim community members at the White House on Tuesday evening, one guest told the President that his wife had disapproved of him coming to the meeting because of Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
An attendee who heard the President’s remarks told The New York Times that Biden replied that he understood. The first lady, he said, had been urging him to “Stop it, stop it now,” according to an attendee who heard his remarks.
Salima Suswell, the founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, recounted the scene in an interview, adding that she had scribbled down the President’s statements because it was so striking to hear that the first lady felt strongly about the conflict.
“He said she said, ‘Stop it, stop it now, Joe,’” Suswell told The New York Times.
Asked about the president’s remarks, White House officials on Wednesday said that there was no daylight between the President and the first lady on the conflict and that the President was as outraged by the civilian casualties as his wife has been. The officials said the first lady was not calling for Israel to end its efforts against Hamas.
“Just like the president, the first lady is heartbroken over the attacks on aid workers and the ongoing loss of innocent lives in Gaza,” Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, said in a statement. “They both want Israel to do more to protect civilians.”
Biden was initially supportive of Israel’s operation in Gaza, but has been more critical lately.
During a recent interview with MSNBC, Biden said that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a red line but also said in the same breath that crossing it would not result in punitive measures against Israel.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later tried to walk back those comments.
Biden has also been particularly critical of Israel over the humanitarian aid entering Gaza, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be doing more to provide aid to the Strip.
