President Joe Biden Interrupted by Israel-Hamas War Protester During LGBTQ+ Rights Speech

President Joe Biden, addressing attendees at the 2023 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening, was momentarily interrupted by an audience member’s shouts.

The dinner was held in the expansive dining room of the Washington Convention Center with over 2,500 guests, and the room’s acoustics made it challenging for many attendees, including those from The Advocate, to discern the protester’s message.

However, a subsequent review of the White House transcript revealed the words: “Let Gaza live! Ceasefire now!”

Responding to the interruption, Biden remarked, “I can’t hear her. What’s she saying? Well, thank you. Whatever you’re saying.”

He continued with his address, passionately championing LGBTQ+ rights, emphasizing, “At this pivotal moment in our history, Jill and I have come here tonight to say thank you for your courage, thank you for your hope, and thank you for your pride.”

Later in his speech, Biden addressed the recent events in the Middle East, describing the attacks as “the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

He elaborated on the human toll, sharing, “A week ago, we saw hate manifest in another way in the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. More than 1,300 innocent lives lost in Israel, including at least 27 Americans.”

He conveyed the emotional impact on affected families: “Yesterday, I spoke for over an hour with the family members of those Americans who are still unaccounted for on a Zoom call. They’ve endured an agony of not knowing what has happened.”

Biden urged unity against hate, proclaiming, “We have to reject hate in every form. … The antidote to hate is love.”

The White House announced yesterday that Biden plans to travel to Israel on Wednesday in support of the country after the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, staged an unprecedented attack on Israeli citizens on October 7. He'll also visit Jordan to meet with leaders of Arab states. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Israel twice since Hamas's attacks in an effort to stem the violence from spilling over into the region.

Hamas targeted a music festival as well as small communities, where atrocities including the slaying of older adults and children occurred.

More than 2,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since the attacks, according to the Associated Press. Almost 10,000 have been wounded.

Israeli military officials say at least 199 hostages were taken from Israel, including those Americans mentioned by Biden. Hamas said it was holding between 200 and 250 hostages, the AP reports.

Since the attacks on October 7, Israel has bombarded Gaza and has cut off electricity, water, and food from the Palestinian territory. Government and military leaders say they will not stop the siege of Gaza until all hostages are returned.

The AP reports that hospitals in Gaza are expected to run out of fuel within the next day or so. Also, people are turning to drinking salt and contaminated water because the taps have run dry. Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza have been displaced as the Israeli military readies troops on the border with Gaza and warned Palestinians in Gaza to move South.

“Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the United Nations chief in Gaza, according to the AP. He called for Israel to end its siege. “We need this now.”