A coalition of White House interns wrote a letter Tuesday to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris urging the leaders to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, NBC News reported.
More than 40 White House interns across several executive branch offices wrote they will “never forget” how the “pleas of the American people” have been ignored by the administration, according to NBC News. Biden and his administration have unwaveringly backed Israel after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the country, brutally raping, murdering and kidnapping civilians.
“We are Palestinian, Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Black, Asian, Latine, White and Queer,” the letter wrote. “We heed the voices of the American people and call on the administration to demand a permanent ceasefire.”
Since the war began, the Biden administration has maintained that calling for a ceasefire would only benefit Hamas. The administration has pushed for a humanitarian pause in the fighting in order to exchange hostages. (RELATED: Biden Abruptly Calls For ‘Pause’ In Israel-Hamas War After Heckler Demands ‘Cease-Fire’)
“Our decision to intern for your administration was driven by our shared values and the profound belief that, under your leadership, America has the potential to be a nation that stands for justice and peace,” the letter reads. “Nonetheless, the ongoing violence perpetuated by the Israeli government, as well as the dehumanizing rhetoric targeting Muslims and Arabs, has promoted a wave of massive violence and tragedies, including the brutal shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont and the murder of a Palestinian 6-year-old boy in Chicago.”
Actress Cynthia Nixon speaks as she announces a hunger strike calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the White House on November 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Biden’s refusal to call for a ceasefire has faced criticism from within his own administration and party, the White House interns being the latest example. A group of State Department staffers previously criticized the president for being too pro-Israel. Former aides from Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign wrote to the vice president, asking her to call for a ceasefire.
Allies of the president have warned that Biden’s pro-Israel stance may cost him young Democratic votes. Some in the voting bloc have threatened to withhold their vote from the president in the 2024 election because of his backing of Israel, while some added they feel “betrayed” by the president.
“We are the Biden-Harris administration to call for a permanent ceasefire now, a release of all hostages including Palestinian political prisoners, and to support a diplomatic solution that will put an end to the illegal occupation and the Israeli apartheid, in accordance with international law and for a free Palestine,” the interns wrote.