By Anisur Rahman

DHAKA, Oct 28, 2023 (BSS) - US President Joe Biden visible policy shift over ruthless Israeli stance on Gaza with analysts and US officials attributing the change to pressures from his own Democratic Party, international discontent particularly vocal outcry from Arab nations due to increasing deaths of innocent Palestinians.

 "The president has lost favor with young, Muslim and Arab Americans, important Democratic constituencies," The UK-based Guardian newspaper wrote in an analysis today titled Left revolts over Biden's staunch support of Israel amid Gaza crisis.

 The newspaper wrote as Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza, Biden was facing extraordinary and growing resistance from his party's left flank, especially from young voters and voters of color, over his steadfast support for Israel.

 "They have staged demonstrations, penned open letters and an even retendered resignation in protest of the Biden administration's handling of a war they say is threatening the president's standing at home and possibly his chances of winning re-election next year," the Guardian pointed out.

 Reuters supplemented the comment saying a rapidly rising Palestinian death toll, the difficulty of freeing Hamas held hostages, an increasingly vocal outcry from Arab nations, European allies and some Americans at home caused the policy revision.

 Biden, 80, the news agency said, evolved in the face of a challenging 2024 reelection bid, threats by some would-be supporters to withhold their votes over his lack of backing for Palestinians, and a warning from former President Barack Obama that Israel's actions could backfire.

 The factors, the news agency said, pushed Biden's team to support a humanitarian pause to Israel's attacks and focus on getting aid to Palestinians while quoting a White House official the report said the shift in tone was based on "the facts on the ground".

 According to Reuters the Biden developed a split with his advisers for his original message on the issue. 

 "There has been a tug of war behind the scenes among Biden and his advisers about the US message," Reuters said quoting a former official who is in touch with current officials.

 "We've seen sort of an evolution from sort of full-throated, unconditional hugging of Israel to a little bit more nuance," the former official said.

 The Washington Post, meanwhile, commented Biden sought to signal to Arab leaders that "he has an agenda for the Middle East that goes beyond Israel's destruction of Hamas and includes a Palestinian state".

 The US President on Wednesday ramped up his response to Arab concerns about Israel's airstrikes in Gaza, saying there must be "a vision of what comes next" after the war, calling directly for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 He also stressed that Israel must minimize civilian casualties regardless of whether it poses a "burden."
 
 "And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution. And it means a concentrated effort from all parties - Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders - to put us on a path toward peace," Biden said.

 The Guardian said the discontent on display in Washington was a testament to the rising anger among the party's left over the response from Biden and Democratic leaders to Israel's war in Gaza.

 A Gallup poll released on Thursday found that Biden's approval rating among Democrats plummeted 11 percentage points in one month, to a record low of 75 percent. According to the survey, the drop was fueled by dismay among Democratic voters over Biden's support for Israel.

 The newspaper noted on Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of liberal Jewish American activists staged sit-ins in the Capitol Hill offices of top Democrats, including in the senate office of progressive champion Bernie Sanders to demand a ceasefire in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

 As they sang in Hebrew and prayed for peace, the House floor resumed legislative activity for the first time in weeks after the election of new Republican speaker congressman Mike Johnson.

 In His first act, the new speaker brought to the floor a resolution declaring US solidarity with Israel after Hamas rampaged through Israeli cities but a resolute minority dissented, citing its failure to address the thousands of Palestinians killed in Israel's retaliatory bombing campaign of Gaza.
 
"The discontent on display in Washington was a testament to the rising anger among the party's left over the response from Biden and Democratic leaders to Israel's war in Gaza," the newspaper wrote.

In the aftermath of Hamas's deadly attacks on Israeli civilians Oct. 7, Biden fiercely embraced Israel, traveled to Tel Aviv and emphasized the Jewish state's right to hit back hard.

 According to the Post in recent days, he has increasingly responded to rising discontent in the Arab world over Israel's devastating barrage of airstrikes and its comprehensive siege of Gaza, an enclave of roughly 2 million people.

 But Arab leaders have called on Biden to more forcefully address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, where Israel has cut off food, fuel, electricity and water, and the hospital system has collapsed.

 Arab leaders have also called on Biden to urge Israeli restraint and to signal that he has a vision beyond the current conflict that addresses the needs of Palestinians as well as Israelis.

 "That pressure culminated in Biden's comments Wednesday, which punctuate a steady change in tone regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict in recent days," the Post wrote.

 The President sharply denounced Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in the West Bank in recent days.

 Hamas runs the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Authority governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has seen a more aggressive settler movement under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 "I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank that are pouring gasoline on the fire," Biden said, noting that the attacks are happening in areas recognized by Israel as Palestinian-controlled.

 "This was a deal. The deal was made, and they're attacking Palestinians in places they're entitled to be. It has to stop. They have to be held accountable, and it has to stop now," Biden said.