President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war is drawing the ire of aides who served in the administration of former President Barack Obama.
Jon Favreau, Ben Rhodes, and David Axelrod recently took to social media to criticize Biden's continued support for Israel.
Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter, chided Biden after Politico reported that Biden was privately enraged after Israel killed seven people working for World Central Kitchen in an air strike.
"The President doesn't get credit for being 'privately enraged' when he still refuses to use leverage to stop the IDF from killing and starving innocent people," Favreau wrote on X. "These stories only make him look weak."
Rhodes, who served as Obama's deputy national security adviser, also criticized Biden for being "privately enraged."
"The U.S. government is still supplying 2,000 pound bombs and ammunition, to support Israel's policy," Rhodes wrote on X. "Until there are substantive consequences, this outrage does nothing. Bibi [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] obviously doesn't care what the U.S. says, it's about what the U.S. does."
Axelrod, who served as Obama's top strategist, called the killing of the World Central Kitchen workers a "bright red line."
"Israel has the right to defend itself against barbaric acts of terrorism, not to indiscriminately kill innocents or valiant men and women who are working to save them from starvation," Axelrod posted.
Axelrod backtracked after he initially said the World Central Kitchen workers were murdered.
"The PM claims the bombing was 'unintentional," Axelrod said. "But the aid workers reportedly were traveling in marked vehicles and had advised IDF of their movements. And yet they were targeted by air strikes."
Tension between Axelrod and Biden is nothing new. In November, Axelrod said Biden should reconsider running for reelection in response to his sagging poll numbers, while Biden has referred to Axelrod with a foul term.
Despite the critiques, Favreau said he still endorses Biden for reelection.
"I spend most of my waking hours trying to help Joe Biden and Democrats get elected," Favreau posted. "I've loved most of what he's done as president. But [I] hate his Israel policy and want it to change. It's possible to disagree with certain policies and/or strategies of politicians who you support."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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