WASHINGTON: In an unprecedented move, political appointees and Biden administration staffers gathered in front of the White House on Wednesday, urging President Joe Biden to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

More than three dozen participants, including political appointees, administration staffers, and civil service career staff, attended the vigil during the early evening, concealing their identities with sunglasses and masks.

Josh Paul, a former State Depart­ment official who resigned in Oct over disagreements with the Biden administration’s handling of the Gaza crisis, delivered opening remarks.

A former administration staffer read a statement from a group of Palestinian officials who chose to remain anonymous, expressing concerns about the impact of the US government’s decisions on global objectives.

“The US government’s decision to double down on fueling the violence has put our objectives … around the globe in jeopardy for us to achieve any movement on some of the most intractable issues we face today,” read the statement.

Analyst describes protest as historic, thanks govt employees for holding vigil

As the death toll in Gaza crossed 18,000, President Biden addressed the situation at a campaign fundraising event in Washington this week, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is “starting to lose support” internationally.

President Biden emphasised the challenges posed by Netanyahu’s government, making it “very difficult for the world” to continue backing Israel.

The vigil outside the White House, calling for an end to the violence, garnered mixed reactions on social media. Foreign policy analyst Mitchell Plitnick described the protest as “historic” in a post on X, expressing gratitude to the Biden staffers for organising the vigil.

“This is unprecedented as far as I know,” Mr Plitnick said. “It is, in fact, historic. Biden staffers organised a vigil outside the White House calling on their boss to call for a ceasefire. Wow! And to the staffers, thank you so much!”

The group organising the vigil condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, emphasising that the temporary ceasefire had ended 13 days ago, leading to a full resumption of killings, displacement, and bombardment of Palestinian civilians. They stressed the urgency of achieving an immediate, permanent ceasefire, and the return of all prisoners.

“The American people and respected institutions like the United Nations are pleading for a ceasefire, but this administration has yet to listen. We demand President Biden and members of the Cabinet to speak up: Call for a permanent ceasefire,” a release of all prisoners, and an immediate de-escalation now, stated Josh Paul during the vigil.

This event comes amid growing internal frustration within the Biden administration regarding the president’s response following Oct 7 raid.

Last month, over 700 staffers and political appointees signed a letter across more than 30 departments and agencies, urging President Biden to support a ceasefire in the Gaza crisis. The letter called for urgent action to secure the release of prisoners, restore essential services, and provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

In a similar demonstration of support for a ceasefire, dozens of congressional staffers held a vigil in front of the US Capitol last month, echoing the calls for an end to the violence in the region.

As internal pressure mounts within the Biden administration, the world watches closely, awaiting a decisive response from President Biden on the escalating crisis in Gaza.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2023