‘Please, Stand by Us’: 133 Former Obama Campaign Officials Urge Obama to Support Ceasefire
On Friday, Nov. 10, 133 former campaign officials and political appointees of Former President Barack Obama penned an open letter, expressing deep concern over the escalating Genocide in Gaza. The letter comes as a direct response to Obama’s Oct. 23 statement on “Thoughts on Israel and Gaza” and his subsequent remarks on Pod Save America.
Former campaign and administration members call for the “safe return of Israeli civilian hostages and imprisoned Palestinian civilians” while demanding an “immediate end to the collective punishment of all Palestinians.”
In essence, this open letter comes as an equal opposite force to the letter signed by 127 pro-Israel former officials who expressed their gratitude for Biden’s support for Israel.
“As former Biden and Obama administration officials and campaign staff, we are writing to express our deep appreciation for your moral clarity, courageous leadership, and staunch support of Israel, one of our nation’s strongest allies, in the aftermath of the worst massacre of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust,” according to the pro-Israel letter.
As of Nov. 7, Israel has killed more than 10,300 Palestinians, at least 4,200 of them children.
— Obama’s Former Campaign Officials
Reminding the former president of the values he upheld during his term, the 133 former alumni quote Obama’s frequent reference to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words about how the arc of morality “bends toward justice.”
“As we witness the scale and speed of a worsening siege in Gaza, we implore you to muster the moral and political courage you ingrained in us,” according to their letter, “and leverage your influence to encourage President Biden and elected officials toward de-escalation, an immediate ceasefire, and brokering the return of hostages using the international stage.”
They go further to explain in detail the gravity of the situation, stating, “As of Nov. 7, Israel has killed more than 10,300 Palestinians, at least 4,200 of them children,” while expressing the concern of the overwhelming majority for those still unaccounted for, including “1,300 children believed to be buried under rubble.”
Covering the extensive damage caused by Israeli forces, they continue to note that Israel has targeted and destroyed “at least 221 schools, more than 34 health care facilities, over 177,000 homes, many churches and mosques, at least six refugee camps, and critical infrastructure.”
To stand against a ceasefire is to stand against the will of the majority of the people in the United States.
— Obama’s Former Campaign Officials
Quoting Former State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Director Josh Paul — who resigned because of what’s been happening in Gaza, the authors critique the Biden Administration’s approach as an “impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience.” They argue that the current strategy is “shortsighted and a detrimental miscalculation.”
The letter invokes Obama’s past statements and values, emphasizing the urgency of the upcoming elections while asserting that the “American and global public outcry against the Israeli government’s actions cannot be ignored or underestimated.”
They further call on Obama to “stand by us” in advocating for an immediate end to the humanitarian crisis and urging a recalibration of Biden’s complicit approach and a commitment to humanitarian values in the face of the ongoing strikes on Gaza.
“To stand against a ceasefire is to stand against the will of the majority of the people in the United States,” they added, alluding to the largest pro-Palestine protest in Washington, D.C., that involved over 300,000 protesters.
