As the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to escalate and concerns of war grow, President Joe Biden has begun responding to the matter and protests have broken out Tuesday and Wednesday across the U.S. with both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrations.
How President Biden responded:
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called for de-escalation in the region and affirmed the president’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself, CNN reports.
- Psaki also said that 25 high-level calls and meetings have taken place between Biden administration officials and regional counterpart officials since the weekend.
On Wednesday, Biden spoke on the matter for the first time since the recent violence began, CNN reports.
- “Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory,” Biden said, CNN reports.
- He also said he has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he hoped the matter would close down soon.
As of yet, Biden has not spoken to Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, according to The New York Times.
Later Wednesday, USA Today says officials announced that a top State Department diplomat had been dispatched to calm tensions in the region. With no named ambassador to Israel, the administration dispatched Hady Amr, deputy assistant secretary for Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
How the U.S. public responded:
The continued escalation between Israel and Palestine has prompted protests across the U.S. On Tuesday, protesters in support of both sides took to the streets in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. cities, Fox News reports.
- The Los Angeles and D.C. protests did not involve any violent clashes between opposing sides.
- However, in New York City, pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups exchanged insults, chants and even punches outside the Israeli consulate, according to NBC News. The police were called in to keep the demonstrators from attacking each other. Arrests were made but the number remains unclear.
On Wednesday, Chicago saw thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gather in the downtown area, ABC reports. No violence was reported following the protest.