A big Democratic donor who helped President Joe Biden get elected in 2020 has ended his support for the president over his handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Ahmed Khan, a Democratic donor and humanitarian who assisted Biden in getting elected by raising funds for him, has renounced his support for the president, he confirmed to Politico.
Khan told the outlet that he quit the Biden Victory Fund National Finance Committee and that he will not be attending an upcoming donor retreat in Washington, D.C., or holiday events at the White House. He cited Biden’s continued support for Israel and his failure to encourage Israel to “minimize civilian casualties” even as it engages in what he described as “ethnic cleansing on the way to genocide.”
“This is bullsh*t,” Khan told the outlet during a phone call. “You make moral compromises being involved in politics and ethical shortcuts, but this is just a bridge too far.”
Amed Khan, a major Biden donor, is bailing on Biden over his failure/refusal to rein in Israel's assault on Gaza: "You make moral compromises being involved in politics and ethical shortcuts, but this is just a bridge too far.” pic.twitter.com/4O6N0uEtJ3
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) December 7, 2023
While Khan admitted he doesn’t have the amount of money to donate as other bigger Democratic donors do, he said he hopes this decision will lead Biden to re-think his handling of the whole Israel and Hamas conflict.
“I’m without a home at this point politically,” Khan added.
Khan isn’t the only Democratic donor who has questioned their support for Biden over his handling of the conflict in the Middle East.
Hala Hijazi, a donor and fundraiser who had attended an Eid al-Fitr event at the White House, said she felt “betrayed” over Biden’s handling of the war, especially after some of her family members in Gaza were reportedly killed.
“I have been one of his biggest fans,” Hijazi said. “I feel betrayed. I feel like my humanity is not equal to anyone else’s humanity,” adding her “family is going to be dead [in the coming days]” and she could no longer remain silent.
A top Biden campaign official told the outlet that while many donors find issues with the president’s policies each election cycle, many others have praised how he is handling the conflict in the Middle East.
“I’m sorry there’s a few folks on the finance committee that are frustrated,” Bryan Rafanelli, a national finance committee member, told the outlet. “We had the complete opposite [at our event]. It was people saying to me – before I even said anything – ‘this is a hard moment for the president and we’re happy with what he’s doing,'” he added about a recent 25-person fundraiser held in Boston.
In October, Biden requested a $105 billion aid package for Israel and Ukraine
While Biden supported a recent humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow for the release of hostages taken by the terrorist group, Biden has maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself and has called out the atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Several Democratic politicians, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) have called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Most recently, more than 40 White House interns wrote a letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris calling for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.