The New York Times said that one of the strongest voices calling for an end to civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip is the voice of the people closest to President Joe Biden, his wife, Jill.

The newspaper revealed in a report from Washington that one of the guests who attended a meeting held by Biden on Tuesday evening at the White House with representatives of the Islamic community in the United States told the president that his wife did not agree to him coming to the meeting because of his support for Israel in its war against the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). In the Gaza Strip.

Biden responded to his wife's request that he understood, saying that the first lady was urging him to stop the war now, repeating, "Stop it, stop it now," according to an audience member who heard the president's comment.

Salima Suswell, who founded the Black Muslim Leadership Council, recounted in an interview what she witnessed at the meeting, noting that she hastily transcribed the president's remarks because it was truly amazing to hear the strong feelings the first lady expressed about the war.

Stop it, Joe

Soswell added that the president stated that his wife told him, “Stop it, stop it now, Joe.”

In response to a question about the president’s statements, White House officials said on Wednesday that there was no understanding between him and his wife, Jill, regarding the conflict, and that Biden was as angry as she was about the civilian casualties.

Al Jazeera had quoted sources as saying that a Ramadan iftar held by the US President at the White House on Tuesday for Arab and Muslim figures, including doctors returning from Gaza, witnessed a withdrawal of a number of attendees in protest against Washington’s support for the Israeli war.

Pressure

The sources reported that Dr. Thaer Ahmed, who returned from the Gaza Strip, told Biden that he could not stay on this occasion while people were being killed in Gaza.

According to a New York Times report, the American First Lady was not the only one who urged her husband to stop the war; A number of the president's closest allies have put pressure on him to make more efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and end the fighting there, and to support restrictions on military aid to Israel.

Among these allies is Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons.

The American newspaper reported that Jill is the most influential in President Biden's inner circle, and is one of the few who provide him with a frank, unvarnished opinion on public policies and political issues.

Source: New York Times