Advocates are critical or disapproving of the Biden administration's remarks
of "Thank you, Joe" from the adoring crowd.
However, outside the convention center, thousands of protesters held signs accusing Biden of war crimes and referring to him as "Genocide Joe" in response to his support for Israel's military actions in Gaza.
In his address, Biden acknowledged the protesters, stating that they "have a point" regarding the high civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict. He said his administration was working to prevent a wider war, reunite families, and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, while ultimately pushing for a ceasefire to end the fighting.
Despite this, many Palestinian rights advocates felt Biden's remarks fell short of the substantive change they were seeking. They argued that as long as the U.S. continues to provide weapons and military support to Israel, Biden's words ring hollow.
One delegate, Sabrene Odeh, said Biden had offered "nothing but empty words" over the past 10 months, and that action - such as an arms embargo on Israel - was now required, not just calls for a ceasefire. For these critics, Biden's expressions of concern were not enough to alleviate their worries about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
However, outside the convention center, thousands of protesters held signs accusing Biden of war crimes and referring to him as "Genocide Joe" in response to his support for Israel's military actions in Gaza.
In his address, Biden acknowledged the protesters, stating that they "have a point" regarding the high civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict. He said his administration was working to prevent a wider war, reunite families, and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, while ultimately pushing for a ceasefire to end the fighting.
Despite this, many Palestinian rights advocates felt Biden's remarks fell short of the substantive change they were seeking. They argued that as long as the U.S. continues to provide weapons and military support to Israel, Biden's words ring hollow.
One delegate, Sabrene Odeh, said Biden had offered "nothing but empty words" over the past 10 months, and that action - such as an arms embargo on Israel - was now required, not just calls for a ceasefire. For these critics, Biden's expressions of concern were not enough to alleviate their worries about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
The protesters argued that the U.S. could take concrete action to help end the violence, with one stating "The thing that we can do is we can stop sending the bombs. We can stop sending weapons."
Both Biden and Harris have acknowledged the anger and concerns over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the presidential campaign. For instance, after meeting with Netanyahu, Harris pledged not to be "silent" in the face of Palestinian "suffering" and said, "We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies."
However, experts warn that the Democratic party may risk alienating younger and more progressive voters if they fail to heed the calls of the antiwar protesters. As one political strategist explained, Biden's remarks at the convention are unlikely to quell the criticisms he and Harris have faced over their approach to the issue.