OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
A Muslim doctor, Dr. Thaer Ahmad, walked out of a meeting with President Biden to protest his stance on the Hamas-Israel conflict.
Ahmad felt the White House was not doing enough to pressure Israel and provide aid to Palestinians.
“We’ve been on the ground, we’ve seen just how overcrowded Rafah is — just how little aid is getting in — and that any sort of military activity there would be catastrophic,” Ahmad said.
His symbolic act underscored divisions within the Democratic Party over the issue.
Only 47% of Democrats approve of Biden’s handling of it, down 13 points since October.
“I wanted to communicate that message, but at the same time, I also wanted it to be clear that up until now — what the White House has done is not sufficient enough,” he said.
“We understand it’s a very painful time,” Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have repeatedly condemned Biden over the conflict, shouting slogans like “[Expletive] Joe Biden” and “Genocide Joe has got to go” at an event.
They are working to disrupt Biden’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August.