Joe Biden was interrupted during the keynote speech on Saturday night at the Human Rights Campaign annual dinner in Washington by a pro-Palestinian activist who yelled “let Gaza live” and “ceasefire now”.
The US president briefly paused in response to the protester, saying he could not hear what they were saying before he continued with his remarks.
“Thank you for whatever you’re saying. I can’t hear you,” said Biden.
In his speech at the dinner, Biden spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by heavy Israeli bombing of the densely packed strip of land in response to a Hamas attack on Israel.
“A week ago, we saw hate manifest another way in the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Biden said. “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza – innocent Palestinian families and the vast majority that have nothing to do with Hamas – they’re being used as human shields.”
Biden added: “We have to reject hate in every form.”
His appearance at the annual dinner came shortly after Biden’s call with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, where he told Abbas: “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.”
Biden also spoke to the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, who he has been in contact with frequently since the Hamas attack.
