White House concerns rising over civilian deaths in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
CNN
The growing number of civilian deaths in the intensifying battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is causing worry inside the White House as officials work the phones with partners in the region.
President Joe Biden has so far resisted calls from fellow Democrats and foreign allies to publicly increase pressure on Israel amid the worsening violence. But notable shifts in the administration's language in news releases revealed the level of concern within the West Wing over the conflict is rising. The White House is placing enormous stock in efforts by Egypt and Qatar to broker an end to the violence, according to officials. Yet so far Biden has not called for a ceasefire himself, raising questions about his strategy in the Middle East among Democrats whose approach to the issue has shifted in recent years.Elected officials, Jewish advocacy groups and civil rights leaders are vowing to “push back” against the message of a White nationalist group that staged a march last week near downtown Columbus, Ohio, calling the demonstration an act of hate unwelcome in their community – and the United States more broadly.
Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.