The White House on Thursday avoided commenting on a resignation and a protest letter from within the Biden administration and campaign teams, saying only that it's an "emotional time" and that "people have the right to voice their opinion."
An Education Department staffer and Palestinian sympathizer quit this week in protest over President Joe Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war. That came amid 17 staffers from Biden's 2024 presidential campaign team anonymously urging the president to, among a litany of things, pressure Israel into an "immediate, permanent cease-fire."
"What we'll say is that people have the right to voice their opinion," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Thursday's White House briefing. "We understand that these are times where ... it's an emotional time. And we understand that as it relates to, I think, the Department of Education, ... I know they put out a statement, so I would refer you to the Department of Education."
That DOE statement was a quote from a spokesperson: "We wish him the best in his future endeavors."
"Him" is Biden administration appointee Tariq Habash, a Palestinian-American who resigned in protest this week over the war. He's the second Biden administration staffer to quit in protest in two months, publicly at least.
Five campaign staffers confirmed to Politico the authenticity of their protest letter. Signed by "17 Biden for President Staffers," they accuse Israel of "apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing that are the root causes of this conflict."
Both Habash's resignation letter and the staffers' missive cite unverified casualty numbers in Gaza that come directly from the terrorist group Hamas while glossing over the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians that instigated the war they all are protesting.
"When it comes to President Biden's position, he has been unequivocal: Israel has a right and obligation to defend its people after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack," a Biden campaign official told Politico.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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