Protests continue despite Biden’s decision to pause arms shipments to Israel, organizers say

US President Joe Biden’s decision to stop sending thousands of bombs to Israel, due to the allied country’s attacks on Rafah, was praised by some critical Democrats, but will not stop the protests over Gaza that have hampered his re-election bid. , according to strategists and organizers.

Biden’s decision last week marks the first time he has withheld U.S. military aid to Israel since the Israelis began attacking Gaza seven months ago, pursuing Hamas militants. Republicans and some Democrats have accused Biden of putting the security of America’s closest ally in the region at risk.

Many say it was also too little, too late to satisfy the left-wing coalition of young, non-white voters who have led protests against Israel’s attacks.

Pro-Palestinian protests rocked college campuses across the country, accompanied Biden to private events and pressured Democrats in crucial states into a “noncommittal” vote to signal dissatisfaction, as deaths in Israeli-occupied Gaza rose to 35,000.

“Biden’s words and gesture taking responsibility for U.S. complicity in these crimes are welcome,” said Stephanie Fox, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group whose members have been involved in protests around the country, including on campuses. College students.

“For his words to mean something, rather than an extraordinary pause, it needs to be the beginning of a changing tide in American politics,” Fox said.

Protesters want the suspension of military aid to Israel, a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and for universities to stop their investments in companies that support Israeli actions. Israel is retaliating against attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, which killed 1,200 people.

“I think Biden’s comments moved the needle… but what we don’t know is whether it’s a public relations move to try to placate some of his adversaries on the issue or whether it’s real, because he’s also said that his support for Israel is irreducible,” said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, another group whose members are participating in protests around the country.

“We will continue protesting,” Benjamin said.

Biden has advocated a temporary ceasefire and said he supports a two-state solution at some point. Although he is becoming increasingly critical of the Israeli government, billions more dollars in arms shipments remain in the pipeline.

On Friday, Israeli troops took their ground war against Palestinian fighters to the city of Rafah, with the UN warning that humanitarian aid to the devastated Gaza Strip could end up being cut off within days.

ISRAEL IS A SMALL GROUP ISSUE

Stanley Greenberg, a veteran pollster who has worked with leading American and Israeli Democrats, held a focus group poll on Wednesday with voters under 45, and Gaza was one of the main issues raised in the wake of rising prices.

“It was among their main concerns,” he said of Gaza. Asked whether “the US has gone too far in supporting Israel, many said yes.”

Some researchers and Biden’s re-election campaign believe the issue only resonates with a small group of people. “It’s very important to some people, but they are in the minority in the electorate,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Polling Institute at Monmouth University.

The campaign’s message is that Biden is experienced in diplomatic matters and will make difficult and necessary decisions regardless of the polls, according to a person with knowledge of the campaign’s thinking.