WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — A new report claims aides to President Joe Biden are working to shield him from protesters who are calling for an end to America’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The anti-war protesters have made their voices heard with rallies, protests and demonstrations across the country. Many Americans unhappy with Biden’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war have also shown up on a new front in just the last week: The ballot box.
More than 100,000 people in Michigan voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary this week in protest of Biden’s unwavering support for Israel.
The problem isn’t going away for Biden with Super Tuesday just days away.
Biden aides, according to NBC News, are working to shield the president from protesters by taking “extraordinary steps to minimize disruptions.” Biden was interrupted more than a dozen times in Virginia back in January. He has not faced an interruption by pro-Palestinian supporters since.
The steps taken reportedly include making events smaller and not sharing the exact location with the media or with the public until he has arrived.
The political ramifications of Biden’s unconditional support for Israel are playing out beyond Michigan.
More states are now looking to follow suit with Colorado on Super Tuesday and in the Pacific Northwest. The biggest labor union in Washington has endorsed voting “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary.
Biden has called for a temporary truce but walked back comments that a temporary ceasefire deal could have been reached by Monday.
Biden’s State of the Union address is expected to offer a split-screen moment with more protests than normal during the speech.
Israel faced further global opposition Friday has Turkey joined Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan in condemning Israeli forces shooting desperately hungry Palestinians waiting for the delivery of aid, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry accusing Israel of using “starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.”
At least 112 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more wounded, the Health Ministry in Gaza said. Israeli troops apparently fired heavily into the crowd, as more than 80% of the wounded brought to one hospital had been struck by gunfire, the hospital’s chief said Friday.
Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic crush for the food aid, and that its troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd.
The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip has soared above 30,000 since Israel’s war on Hamas began nearly five months ago after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.