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WASHINGTON — When he addresses the nation in the State of the Union, President Joe Biden won't have a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to champion.
Negotiators are seeking a six-week pause in the fighting, during which Hamas would release about 40 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. But talks in Cairo this week failed to produce a breakthrough, lowering the Biden administration’s hopes of a deal before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10.
The president will use his prime-time platform on Thursday night to emphasize "Israel's right to go after Hamas and those responsible" for killing 1,200 people and kidnapping some 250 others on Oct. 7, a senior administration official previewing the address said. In the House gallery as guests of Democratic and Republican lawmakers will be former hostages and the relatives of those still held in Gaza.
The election-year State of the Union comes as support for Biden is at risk among progressive and Arab American voters who want him to get tougher on Israel, including by limiting US military aid to the country. When he speaks Thursday night, a group of progressive lawmakers in attendance will be wearing pins with the word “cease-fire.”
