Biden initially invited leaders to iftar, the meal at which Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the leaders had “expressed their desire” to hold a policy meeting and that the White House had adjusted its plans to accommodate their requests.
The leaders’ refusal to host a White House dinner underscores the significant challenges Mr. Biden faces with Arab American and Muslim communities seven months before the presidential election. Salima Suswell, leader of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, said in an interview that she and other Muslim leaders were invited to a dinner at the White House this week but declined the offer and instead attended a dinner with the president and other Muslim leaders. He said he had asked to speak with other White House officials about the issue. the war in Gaza and other issues in the community;
Suswell, who has been organizing events in Philadelphia to support Palestinians, said he was torn between attending Tuesday’s policy conference or boycotting the event altogether. She ultimately decided on her trip to Washington “because I’m consistent with my position that engagement is so important right now,” she said.
Some activists “assume that talking to the president won’t yield a positive result,” she says. “But you should know clearly that if you turn down that opportunity and boycott it, nothing will change.”
Tuesday will be the first meeting between the president and Islamic leaders in about five months. Biden held his first meeting with several Islamic leaders in late October, about three weeks after the start of the Israel-Gaza war, and those in attendance expressed frustration at the president’s insensitivity to the deaths of Palestinian civilians. .
Since then, Biden has had little interaction with Muslim and Arab-American communities, while protests over his support for Israel have grown. Anger in these communities over Mr. Biden’s staunch support for Israel comes at a time when tens of thousands of Palestinians have died and a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe unfolds, especially among the roughly 300,000 Palestinians who claim Palestinian ancestry. It’s creating political challenges in states like Michigan where people live. Middle East and North Africa.
The White House did not host iftar last year, but it did invite more than 300 people to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
“This was actually a request from members of the community. This is what they wanted and we understand that,” Jean-Pierre said of the decision to host the meeting instead of iftar. Ta. “We listened, continued to listen, and adjusted our format to be responsive so we could get feedback from them.”
This is not the first time Arab Americans and Muslims have expressed their displeasure by turning down invitations from Biden and his team. In February, local leaders in Michigan met with Biden national security officials, saying they wanted to talk to policymakers, not political operatives, Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez said. -This was after initially refusing to meet with Rodriguez.
Tuesday’s meeting also came as some in the community did not support meeting with Biden and his team, with some advocating for continued engagement to try to change policy, including prominent Arab Americans and It highlights the tensions that Muslims must overcome.
A person familiar with the planning spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private event, but said White House officials asked local residents what type of event they would like, especially for a working meeting to discuss policy regarding Gaza. He said that a consensus had been reached. The official added that the number of people who declined to participate in the event was small.
In Michigan and elsewhere, Arab Americans and Muslims have spoken out against people in their own communities, as well as progressives, people of color, young voters and others dissatisfied with Biden’s support for Israel. , is organizing a campaign urging people to vote “irresponsibly” in each state’s Democratic primary. as a way to warn Biden that he needs to change course if he is to win votes for him in November. The initiative garnered more than 100,000 “uncommitted” votes in Michigan, a battleground state critical to Biden’s re-election in what is expected to be a tight contest.
Additionally, Biden and other Democrats have faced protesters at virtually every public event and appearance since Israel launched a war in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. ing.
Israel launched a war in Gaza after Hamas militants broke through the border fence between Israel and Gaza, killing 1,200 people, including civilians, and taking about 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians and pushed the region to the brink of starvation as Israel severely limits the delivery of humanitarian aid. .
Israel and its defenders argue that while the country is doing everything it can to protect civilians, Hamas routinely embeds fighters, weapons and operational centers in civilian areas. There is. Human rights groups say there is little justification for the scale and lethality of Israel’s military invasion.
Muslim voting group Emgage wrote in an email to its members that it had received an invitation to Tuesday’s dinner but decided not to attend. He called on the Biden administration to seek an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to use its influence against Israel to end the conflict. Free access to humanitarian aid convoys. Resuming funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The cancellation of Israel’s plan to invade Rafah, where some 1.3 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah on Israeli orders. And we will move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Emgage was one of the groups that wanted to hold a working meeting but ultimately declined to attend, according to a person familiar with the plans.
“We share our community’s deep pain over the Biden administration’s continued unconditional military aid to Israel,” Wael Alzayyat, CEO of Emgage, said in an email. “An epic humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding, with millions of people facing hunger and disease. At this moment of great pain and suffering, we call on the White House to call this rally… We request that it be postponed and an appropriate policy meeting be held with representatives chosen by the community.”
