By Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman and Matt Berg

On Oct. 13, national Security adviser Jake Sullivan led a virtual all-hands to check in on staffers dealing with fallout from the conflict. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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With help from Nahal Toosi and Joseph Gedeon

The Israel-Hamas war isn’t just testing the limits of U.S. foreign policy. It’s taxing the personal capacities of U.S. officials struggling with the violent scenes coming out of the Middle East.

Eight officials described a series of recent White House staff meetings, all either centering around or featuring in-depth discussions about the crisis and its effect on aides’ lives. They signal that leadership in the West Wing believes a ramp-up in staff engagement could cool simmering anger either at the Biden administration’s policy or the horrific nature of the violence.

On Oct. 13, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN led a virtual all-hands to check in on staffers dealing with fallout from the conflict. One official, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal conversations, said senior leaders “wanted our team — many who have served in the region and have family or colleagues there — to know these are tough times across the board, and that we need to check on one another.”

“We know it’s tough given personal and professional ties to the region,” the official continued.

Sullivan opened the meeting offering a defense of the administration’s strategy while emphasizing he knows not everyone agrees with it and has their own strong, personal feelings about the fighting.

It wasn’t exactly a free-for-all. Instead of holding an interactive discussion, the more than 100 attendees were asked to submit their questions to the moderators, according to one of the officials. But the participants were encouraged to reach out directly with any feedback or concerns.

Then last week, JEFF ZIENTS, the White House chief of staff, hosted a regular town hall with staff. The meeting kicked off with a discussion about the war, with Zients, Sullivan, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director ARATI PRABHAKAR and Director of Public Engagement STEVE BENJAMIN offering their own thoughts first. Aides who participated in the virtual session then asked questions about the U.S. policy in the war before moving on to other subjects.

Some of the questions were “tense” and “probing,” one of the officials said, but added that the conversation was respectful.

Senior White House officials in recent weeks have also been leading “listening sessions” with small groups of people. Two were held in recent days: One with Muslim, Arab and Palestinian staffers and another with Jewish staff.

One official in attendance at the Muslim, Arab and Palestinian session last night tells NSD the event was well received, with several dozen staffers showing up. The official added that their White House hosts focused on the "culture of fear" and to say they are supported.

Both sessions were led by Zients, Benjamin, senior adviser ANITA DUNN and deputy national security adviser JON FINER. ALI ZAIDI, the national climate adviser, helped lead the meeting with Muslim, Arab and Palestinian leaders.

Zients also hosted a call with Cabinet secretaries “to ensure they are reaching out to their Muslim, Arab American and Palestinian staff along with Jewish staff,” according to one of the U.S. officials.

The White House meetings come as the administration is facing pushback from Arab-American leaders and many Arab- and Muslim-Americans at the State Department are unhappy with the U.S. approach to the war. JOSH PAUL, a director at State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, resigned over the administration’s handling of the conflict.

Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN addressed the tensions in a note to staff last week; he also has held sessions with representatives of Arab, Muslim and Jewish employees.

DOD is also increasing outreach. The department has sent out mental health resources to appointees struggling with the conflict, according to one DOD official. In addition, the Pentagon’s Middle Eastern and North African appointee affinity group met last week, and the Jewish and MENA appointee affinity groups are planning on a joint meeting soon.

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WIDENING WAR WORRIES: Today, Blinken warned that if Iran or its aligned groups in the Middle East continue targeting American troops in the region, the United States will take action.

“We do not want this war to widen, but if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel, make no mistake: we will defend our people, our personnel, swiftly,” he said during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

Blinken’s remarks came as Israeli forces ramped up airstrikes on the Gaza Strip today, with the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reporting more than 700 Palestinians were killed overnight. He also said pauses “must be considered” to let food, water and other aid in and allow civilians to move away from dangerous areas.

The White House also confirmed that 33 Americans were killed during Hamas’ attack on Israel with 10 more unaccounted for.

With a looming Israeli ground invasion, Gen. HERZI HALEVI, the chief of general staff for Israel’s military, told reporters today that his forces are ready for the operation, but “there are tactical and strategic factors that give us more time,” per The New York Times’ ADAM GOLDMAN.

The calculus behind when the ground invasion begins is unclear, but the Biden administration is concerned that Israel doesn’t have achievable military objectives for Gaza yet, senior administration officials told the Times’ HELENE COOPER, ADAM ENTOUS and ERIC SCHMITT. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN, for one, has stressed to his counterpart that Israel needs to be careful with how an invasion is undertaken, the Times wrote.

Meanwhile, French President EMMANUEL MACRON became the latest world leader to call for Israel to minimize civilian casualties, pushing for the peace process with the Palestinians to be re-energized, our own CLEA CAULCUTT reports.

“The security of Israel cannot be long-lasting without a decisive relaunch of the political process with Palestinians,” Macron said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — NATSEC LEADERS PUSH UKRAINE FUNDS: More than 300 prominent national security experts, many of them senior retired officials, sent a letter to congressional leaders today, pushing them to pass more military aid for Ukraine.

“We, a nonpartisan group of national security and foreign policy professionals, urge you to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Ukraine and democracy around the world by bringing to a vote without delay a measure that fully addresses the critical Ukraine-related funding needs identified in the President's emergency supplemental request,” reads the letter signed by just-retired Deputy Secretary of State WENDY SHERMAN and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia JOHN SULLIVAN. “It is essential that the United States and its allies and partners ensure that Ukraine has the capabilities and extended support it needs for its counteroffensive.”

Foreign Policy for America organized the letter.

The strong message adds a bit of pressure for congressional leadership to pass the Ukraine-aid provisions of JOE BIDEN’s $106 billion request, which also includes funds for Israel, Taiwan and border security. But lawmakers in the Senate and House, the vast majority of them Republicans, want Congress to consider those funding requests separately instead in one big mega measure.

IT’S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at [email protected] and [email protected], and follow us on X at @alexbward and @mattberg33.

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JOIN 10/25 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF GRID RELIABILITY: The EPA’s proposed standards for coal and new natural gas fired power plants have implications for the future of the electric grid. These rules may lead to changes in the power generation mix—shifting to more renewable sources in favor of fossil-fuel plants. Join POLITICO on Oct. 25 for a deep-dive conversation on what it will take to ensure a reliable electric grid for the future. REGISTER NOW.

VIVEK SKEPTICAL OF NATO AND UN: Republican presidential candidate VIVEK RAMASWAMY told Alex last night that taking the U.S. out of NATO is a “reasonable idea” and that he is “reevaluating” America’s membership in the U.N.

The entrepreneur, polling fourth in his party nationally and in Iowa, didn’t commit to following through on either of those moves. But the statement makes clear that Ramaswamy is mulling a radical shift in U.S. foreign policy, one that would see the United States withdraw from alliances and institutions it helped found after World War II.

Ramaswamy’s stance means at least two of the top four Republicans vying for the nomination are skeptical that remaining in such organizations is beneficial for America’s foreign policy goals.

DON’T WALK WITH IRAN: GOP presidential candidate CHRIS CHRISTIE said the Biden administration’s rhetoric against Iran has been too soft as Tehran’s role in escalating recent tensions in the Middle East becomes increasingly apparent.

The White House has “this pipe dream of reaching some type of peaceful coexistence with Iran. What they need to understand is Iran has no interest in that. You can't have a peaceful coexistence with an adversary that has no interest in peaceful coexistence,” Christie told radio host HUGH HEWITT this morning.

Christie, the former New Jersey governor, cited Iran’s close ties with North Korea, Russia and China as evidence that Tehran is trying to “increase their own influence and decrease the influence of the U.S. and our NATO allies.”

PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

CHIPS AHOY: The Commerce Department has received more than 530 statements of interest from 42 states for CHIPS funding, the government affairs director in the department’s CHIPS Program Office said today, our own MOHAR CHATTERJEE reports (for Pros!).

Last year’s CHIPS and Science Act provided nearly $53 billion in subsidies to boost semiconductor research, development and manufacturing, ADRIENNE ELROD said at POLITICO’s CHIPS update event. Elrod also said the Commerce Department has received more than 130 applications and pre-applications for funding.

REED’S READ: U.S. troops flowing to the Middle East amid threats of a wider war will bring “more urgency” to breaking the Senate’s logjam on DOD nominees, Senate Armed Services Chair JACK REED (D-R.I.) told our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!).

Reed, who went to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt over the weekend, said that Democrats still need Republican support to bypass Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE’s (R-Ala.) blanket holds. They don’t need Republicans to invoke cloture on the nominees, but he predicted “any type of legislative action” — likely a Senate rule change, though Reed didn’t specify — “would require more than just 50 votes.”

“We have to move very quickly,” Reed said. “I think my colleagues on the other side recognize that now what’s going on in Israel makes it even more imperative that we [get senior DOD officials] in place, and we're gonna try to do it as rapidly as possible.”

ICYMI — Ukraine says Israel-Hamas war shows West must ramp up arms production by our own JOSHUA POSANER and CALEB LARSON.

MEEKS ACUTE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers condemned Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea a day after the Philippines accused Chinese coast guard vessels of intentionally colliding with its boats in the area.

House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.) and Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas), along with Reps. AMI BERA (D-Calif.) and YOUNG KIM (R-Calif.) called the coast guard’s actions “unlawful” in a statement.

Chinese forces “intentionally hit Philippine Coast Guard ships over the weekend and continue to violate international law, endanger Filipino crew members, and obstruct Philippine vessels’ access in their own exclusive economic zone,” the lawmakers wrote today. “We unequivocally support the Philippines and condemn the unlawful actions by the Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea.”

‘HONEST MISTAKE’: Washington State Sen. JEFF WILSON, a Republican, was arrested for allegedly bringing an unloaded revolver to a Hong Kong airport on Monday. He noticed it was in the luggage when he was reaching for a piece of gum in what he dubbed “an honest mistake.”

YOU WIN SOME, YOU NEWSOM: California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM is getting flak from China hawks for his trip to Beijing this week, our own PHELIM KINE and BLANCA BEGERT report.

Many GOP lawmakers see Newsom’s outreach to Beijing as inappropriate in the face of bilateral trade disputes, the Chinese spy balloon incident in February and Beijing’s alignment with Russia’s war in Ukraine and now in the Israel-Hamas war.

“Gov. Newsom’s effort to cozy up to the Chinese Communist Party is delusional,” said Rep. MICHELLE STEEL (R-Calif.). Newsom should instead “be concerned about the CCP’s control of the critical mineral supply chains as he prepares to ban gasoline-powered cars by 2035.”

Newsom’s possible presidential aspirations may hinge on how he weathers a GOP narrative that his China visit may harm Washington. Recent congressional races in Pennsylvania and Missouri became slug matches between rival candidates accusing each other of having questionable past business ties to Beijing. And Republican presidential contenders hammered Ramaswamy over his financial dealings in China during the second candidates’ debate last month.

Read: Putin’s not dying, Kremlin says by our own PIERRE EMMANUEL NGENDAKUMANA.

— LI SHANGFU has officially been ousted as Chinese defense minister today after having gone missing with little explanation for nearly two months.

— The Pallas Foundation for National Security Leadership tapped ESSYE MILLER, to join its board of directors. Miller was formerly the principal deputy chief information officer and acting defense chief information officer.

— BEN BIRNBAUM, POLITICO: ‘Netanyahu got all the warnings,’ says former head of Israeli military intelligence

— BRIAN FINUCANE and MICHAEL WAHID HANNA, War On The Rocks: Don’t rely on U.S. law to prevent escalation in the Middle East

— SOMAIYAH HAFEEZ, The Diplomat: Amid Pakistan’s crackdown, Afghan refugees lose hope

— The House Homeland Security Committee, 9 a.m.: An examination of the Iranian regime's threats to homeland security

— The Middle East Institute, 10 a.m.: The critical implications of Syria's worsening crisis: from local to global

— Washington Post Live, 11 a.m.: Book discussion on "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine," and Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the newly declared war between Israel and Hamas

— The House Financial Services National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: How America and its allies can stop Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran from evading sanctions and financing terror

— The Senate Foreign Relations Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: Assessing the State Department’s strategy for security in the Black Sea region

— The House Foreign Affairs Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: The U.S.-Honduras bilateral relationship: Analyzing the socialist government of President XIOMARA CASTRO DE ZELAYA

— The R Street Institute, 2 p.m.: Data privacy and security as a national security imperative

— The House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, 2:30 p.m.: The submarine industrial base and its ability to support the AUKUS framework

The Catholic University of America, 6 p.m.: Collisions: the war in Ukraine and the origins of the new global instability

Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, whose reputation we tarnish in every team meeting.

We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who says more with less during internal discussions.

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Delivering Multi-Domain Deterrence.

Fast-moving threats require agile deterrence with multi-domain enabled platforms. Lockheed Martin’s combat-proven systems work together to protect critical assets against evolving threats.

We're accelerating production of combat-proven capabilities like HIMARS and PAC-3 MSE to support our customers’ national security missions. Learn more.

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