President Joe Biden has met with US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two other prominent liberal lawmakers opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza bombing campaign, Reuters reports.

The meeting came as Biden’s support for Israel’s response to the Oct 7 Hamas attack has divided Democrats, fraying Biden’s coalition of voters ahead of November’s presidential election.

The lawmakers have sharply criticised Israel’s policies, with Ocasio-Cortez last month describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as like “an unfolding genocide”. Still, the congresswoman from New York earlier this month made a case for Biden’s reelection despite his support for Israel, citing a “a vested interest in protecting democracy not just here domestically, but globally”, in an interview with the media organization Zeteo.

“I learned a long time ago to listen to that lady,” Biden said of Ocasio-Cortez in Virginia. “We’re going to talk more about another part of the world, too.” The White House and the lawmakers declined to comment on the subject of the meeting.

Earlier on Monday, Biden said he condemned “anti-Semitic protests” but also “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians”.