SPEAKING UP

Biden Backs ‘Pause’ in Israel-Hamas War When Confronted by Heckler

“A pause means give time to get the prisoners out,” Biden said.

President Joe Biden faced off with a heckler in Minnesota Wednesday night who called for Biden to lean on both Israel and Hamas in the hopes of brokering a cease-fire agreement—to which Biden responded by saying he supported a “pause” in the fighting. “Mr. President, if you care about Jewish people, as a rabbi, I need you to call for a cease-fire right now,” the heckler shouted at Biden during a small campaign reception in front of roughly 200 people, who moaned and called out at the heckler as they spoke. “I think we need a pause,” Biden replied, according to a transcript in The Hill. When pressed, he added: “A pause means give time to get the prisoners out. Give time. I’m the guy that convinced Bibi to call for a cease-fire to let the prisoners out. I’m the guy that talked to Sisi to convince him to open the door.” Biden’s comments were largely in line with recent U.S. policy, which changed last week after the administration called for “humanitarian pauses” in an attempt to increase the amount of aid getting into the besieged Gaza Strip.