President Joe Biden said he hopes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas can come into effect early next week, while holding an ice cream cone during a taping of Seth Meyers’ comedy show.
Biden, delivering comments in New York after taping an appearance on Meyers’ NBC show “Late Night,” which was broadcast by anti-Israel protesters, continued to show mounting pressure on the president from the left.
Asked when he thought a ceasefire might begin, Biden said: “Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend. The end of the weekend. My national security advisor tells me we are close. Were close. We’re not done yet. I hope we have a ceasefire next Monday.”
As part of the filming, Biden and Meyers went next door to the Van Leeuwen ice cream shop. He chose a mint chocolate chip cone.
During the trip, the president was asked when a ceasefire in Gaza might begin.
President Joe Biden said Monday, while holding an ice cream cone during a taping of Seth Meyers’ comedy show, that he hopes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas can take effect early next week.
Negotiations are underway for a weeks-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to allow the release of hostages held by the militant group in Gaza in exchange for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The proposed six-week pause in fighting would also mean hundreds of trucks could deliver much-needed aid to Gaza every day.
Negotiators face an unofficial deadline for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan around March 10, a period when Israeli-Palestinian tensions often rise.
Protesters supporting a ceasefire in Gaza stormed the lobby of New York City’s Rockefeller Center to send a message to Biden, who was participating in a taping of Meyers’ show upstairs.
The group identified themselves as Jewish-Americans, wearing T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name” and large signs reading “Jews for Biden: End Israel’s Siege of Gaza.”
They chanted “end the siege of Gaza now” and “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide…”
In a video from the scene, a New York City police officer uses a bullhorn to tell the crowd they will be arrested for trespassing if they do not disperse.
Several protesters were then seen being arrested by the NYPD.
Biden commented in New York after taping an appearance on Meyers’ NBC show “Late Night,” which was broadcast by protesters and continued to show mounting pressure on the president from the left
As part of the filming, Biden and Meyers went next door to the Van Leeuwen ice cream shop. He chose a mint chocolate chip cone
A Palestinian man carries a baby past buildings destroyed during Israeli attacks in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over the lobby of NBC’s Rockefeller Center, where US President Joe Biden will appear for ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ in New York
Protesters took over the lobby of 30 Rock on Monday as President Joe Biden was upstairs taping an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers
Pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the lobby of New York’s Rockefeller Center to send a message to President Joe Biden, who was participating in a Late Night With Seth Meyers tape upstairs.
The demonstrators called for a ceasefire to save Gaza’s civilian population from the Israeli army, which is trying to eradicate Hamas after the October 7 terrorist attack.
Biden was a surprise guest for Meyers’ 10th anniversary episode of the late night show.
It was the latest example of far-left, anti-Israel protesters trying to influence Biden.
He already faces a tough challenge in the state of Michigan, which has the highest percentage and number of Arab Americans in the United States at more than 211,000, or 2.1 percent.
The president’s support in the state is wavering among progressives and youth over his support for Israel as the country wages its war in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
Michigan voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in both the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.
But some activists are encouraging Democrats to vote “uncommitted” instead of for Biden because of his support for financing Israel.
The “Listen to Michigan” movement, which has been pushing for “uncommitted” votes from Michigan Democrats on Biden’s Gaza policies, said it can demonstrate they have Biden’s “margin of victory for re-election.”
More than 40 Democratic elected officials in the state have pledged to vote “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s primary.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic primaries, the new poll showed 75 percent support Biden, while 9 percent plan to vote uncommitted, 5 percent support Dean Phillips and 12 percent are undecided.
The poll found that 28 percent of voters under 30 plan to vote “uncommitted” on Tuesday, which could signal significant trouble for Biden in November as Democrats tend to draw more support from young people as their coalition wants to win.
Protesters gather at the University of Michigan on February 20 against Biden’s support for Israel and demand a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas
Pro-Palestinian activists have urged Democratic voters to vote “unfettered” instead of for Biden in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary. Polls show that 28 percent of young voters plan to vote ‘unattached’
Search and rescue operations in the rubble of a collapsed building after an Israeli attack on Khan Yunis, Gaza on February 26
Israel has long been the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East, and the war has put Biden between a rock and a hard place politically. He has urged Congress to pass a funding package that includes aid for Israel. At the same time, earlier this month he called Israel’s military operation in Gaza “exaggerated.”
As the president faces a political backlash over Israel in Michigan, the group PrimaryPivot, which has focused on keeping Trump out of office, sent more than 260,000 text messages to Michigan voters ahead of the primaries, highlighting on the war in Gaza, warning them not to vote in the elections. Biden could help re-elect Trump.
As we head into the Republican primaries, 69 percent of Republican primary voters support Trump, 20 percent support Nikki Haley, and 11 percent are undecided.
Looking ahead to the potential matchup in the general election, the new poll in Michigan found male voters breaking 53 percent to 41 percent for Trump, while female voters broke 46 percent to 41 percent for Biden.
Independent voters in Michigan also broke for Trump at 43 percent to Biden’s 37 percent.