Khanna says Biden ‘needs to do something bold,’ especially with Israel-Hamas war

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) suggested Sunday that President Biden “do something bold” and call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza as support from his base appears to be wavering.

CBS News “Face the Nation” anchor Margaret Brennan presented polling showing nearly twice as many Democrats rate Biden’s presidency as fair or poor compared with Republicans who say the same about former President Trump and claimed the president is “having a problem with his base.”

 “And that’s why I think he needs to do something bold … this is a problem,” Khanna said Sunday. “But if he can turn it around, not just by calling for a cease-fire — if he becomes the first American president to [convene] Gulf allies, to convene Israel, to convene municipal leaders in Palestine and civic society and said, ‘I’m going to get this done. I’m going to recognize a Palestinian state, I’m going to have a two-state solution, and I’m going to recognize that the security of Israel matters, that the end of occupation matters,’ he can become a hero.”

Earlier in the interview, Khanna said he has been” “very direct” in his criticism of Biden’s Middle East policy and argued what Biden needs to do is “stop the killing, the suffering.”

“And my plea to this president, who I support deeply, is: Mr. President, call for a permanent cease-fire,” Khanna said. “There’s too much suffering. And the release of all hostages. The policy of bear-hugging Netanyahu has not worked.”

Khanna’s suggestion comes as a temporary cease-fire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas continues to be negotiated by the two parties, along with international leaders, including CIA Director William Burns.

Israel has reportedly agreed to the framework of a proposed temporary cease-fire and hostage release deal, according to a senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Associated Press on Saturday. The official said the Israelis “have more or less accepted” the framework, leaving the decision up to Hamas, per the news wire.

If accepted, the deal would include a six-week cease-fire, and Hamas would release hostages considered at risk, according to the U.S. official. It would also pave the way for a larger influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel’s military operations. 

Immediately following Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel — which killed 1,200 people and took about 250 people hostage — the Biden administration offered its unwavering support to its allied nation.

As the war approaches the five-month mark, however, and the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza climbs past 30,000, U.S. leaders and much of the international community have mounted pressure on Israel to scale back its retaliatory military campaign to prevent civilian casualties.

Brennan asked Khanna if publicly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an election year would bode well for Biden’s reelection, to which he said, “Yes. You know who was? President Obama, and he won two terms.”

Brennan pointed out that then-Vice President Biden did not agree with Obama at the time on his approach.

The Hill reached out to the White House for comment.