WASHINGTON — President Biden warned Monday that global public opinion “can shift overnight” toward Israel’s war in Gaza — as the White House was accused of snubbing family members of hostages held by Hamas from an 800-person Hanukkah celebration.
“Several family members of the American citizen hostages missing in Gaza had asked the White House to attend its Hanukkah reception tonight, but did not receive invitations, one of them tells me,” reported CNN journalist MJ Lee, who recently covered relative pleas for Biden to “get creative.”
White House event invitations and perceived snubs routinely draw attention and it’s unclear who on the West Wing staff would have been responsible for the decision.
Up to seven US citizens and one permanent resident, in addition to dozens of Israelis, are believed to remain captive in the Gaza Strip after being abducted from southern Israel in the Oct. 7 attacks that killed about 1,200 people including 33 Americans.
The Post was not immediately able to confirm the exclusions and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The alleged snubs come as Biden, 81, continues to staunchly support Israel’s invasion of Gaza — potentially putting his own re-election at risk by upsetting younger, Arab and Muslim voters.
At the Hanukkah event Monday night, Biden said “we’re committed to providing military assistance to Israel until they get rid of Hamas” and proclaimed “I’m a Zionist” to cheers.
“But, but, we have to be careful — they have to be careful. The whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight. We can’t let that happen,” Biden said, without elaboration.
“We’re working relentlessly for the safe return of the hostages. I personally spent countless hours — I mean probably up to 20 hours — with the Qataris, the Egyptians, the Israelis to secure the freedom of hostages, to get the trucks in and get humanitarian aid flowing, to convince them to open the gate.”
Biden also praised a recent Senate speech on antisemitism from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in which he said Jews feel “abandoned” and slammed “dogwhistles” from “friends and allies.”
“Everyone in America should read it,” Biden said of Schumer’s address.
“I also recognize your hurt from the silence and the fear for your safety because the surge of antisemitism in the United States of America and around the world is sickening,” Biden said, two days after University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned after declining to say at a congressional hearing that it was against school rules to call for the genocide of Jews.
“You know we see it across our communities in schools and colleges and social media,” Biden said. “They surface painful scars from millennia to hate of hate to genocide for the Jewish people.”
