The White House is pushing back against Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-Mich.) claim that President Biden is supporting the “genocide” against Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” anchor George Stephanopoulos asked White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer about the recent comments Tliab made about the ongoing conflict.
“Look, we strongly disagree with some of that messaging and with some of the terms used to describe this conflict,” Finer told Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
“But what I will say is we know that this is a conflict about which there are strong views on all sides, including in the United States, including frankly, even within the United States — the Biden administration about the conduct of this conflict.”
Finer also said the administration has seen congressional members on both sides share their strong opinions on the matter, noting that they “respect the fact that there are people who have deep personal ties to this conflict in a way that may have been unusual in terms of the recent world events.”
“All of that said, some of the characterizations and the terms used we believe have technical definitions, have certain historical resonance and weight, and that we do not accept their application to this particular war even as we continue to raise our serious concerns about the toll that this is taking on civilian life and the need to do even more to protect it,” Finer added.
In a Friday post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Tlaib, who is of Palestinian heritage, claimed that Biden supported the genocide of Palestinian people.
“Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one,” she said. “We will remember in 2024,” Tliab wrote in her post, which comes alongside a video showing pro-Palestinian demonstrations and marches across the country.
“From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate,” Tlaib added. “My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”
It’s been four weeks since Hamas’s surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people in Israel. About 240 others were taken hostage by the militant group.
In response, Israel has launched a series of airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 9,700 people, including thousands of women and children, according to NBC News.