‘Must pause to reflect on the pain the Gaza war has caused Arab Americans’: Joe Biden

Joe Biden acknowledged on Friday that many Arab Americans “feel pain” over the Gaza war, U.S. support for Israel and its military offensive, leaving Arabs, Muslims and anti-war activists angry and disappointed.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfolds, many Muslims and Arabs in the United States are urging the Democratic president to call for a permanent ceasefire, stop arms sales to Israel and use more means to protect civilian lives.

“We must also pause and reflect on the pain that the war in Gaza has made so many in the Arab American community feel,” Biden said in a White House proclamation for Arab American Heritage Month, adding that he was deeply moved by the war in Gaza. “Shock”. suffering.

However, hours after Biden made his statement on Friday, the Washington Post reported that his administration had approved billions of dollars worth of additional bombs and warplanes to Israel in recent days.

Israel is a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid, and the United States has repeatedly vetoed votes at the United Nations calling for a ceasefire amid attacks in Gaza, abstaining from a vote in late March.

Since 2021, the Biden administration has been making announcements ahead of April, Arab American Heritage Month. This year’s announcement was longer than usual because of Biden’s comments about Gaza.

Protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have taken place in many U.S. cities in recent months, including near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, at vigils outside the White House and at marches in Washington.

Demonstrators have frequently interrupted Biden’s campaign events and speeches, including a high-profile fundraiser in New York City on Thursday.

They are demanding that Biden meet their demands or risk losing their support in the November election. Arab and Muslim Americans are unlikely to support Biden’s rival, Republican former President Donald Trump, but observers note they are likely to sit out the election and deny him key votes. They overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020.

Biden said on Friday he was working to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, free hostages held by Hamas and establish an immediate ceasefire that would last at least six weeks.

Biden also said Arab Americans have been the target of hate crimes, noting the assassination of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume in Illinois in October, Vermont in November The shootings of three Palestinian students and the assassination in February. A Palestinian American from Texas.

According to Israeli statistics, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people. Israel’s subsequent military assault on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has killed more than 32,000 people and displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million people, according to the local health ministry, pushing the enclave to the brink of starvation and prompting accusations of genocide. Israel denies the accusation.