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Friday, October 4, 2024

Biden’s Israel stance angers Arab, Muslim-Americans; could jeopardize 2024 votes

Many Arab Americans accuse Biden of failing to push for any humanitarian ceasefire even as Palestinians areof the Gaza Strip, more than a dozen academics, activists, community members and administration officials said.

U.S. President Joe Biden has demonstrated unwavering support for Israel’s security over a half-century in public life. In this photo, Biden attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv,…

Many Arab Americans accuse Biden of failing to push for any humanitarian ceasefire even as Palestinians areof the Gaza Strip, more than a dozen academics, activists, community members and administration officials said.

Read more: ‘Don’t be blinded by rage’, Biden tells Israel

In hotly contested Michigan, Arab Americans account for 5% of the vote. In other battleground states Pennsylvania and Ohio, they are between 1.7% to 2%, said Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute. headtopics.com

Arab and Muslim Americans are unlikely to back Trump but could sit out the election and not vote for Biden, some activists said. While condemning the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on civilians in Israel that killed 1,400 people, Arab Americans said the Israeli response was disproportionate and Biden’s failure to condemn the bombardment has many questioning his promise of a “human rights centered” foreign policy.

Linda Sarsour, a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, told hundreds of attendees at a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event on Saturday that Muslim Americans should make any political donations contingent on a change in policies that have killed thousands of Palestinians.

Read more: Biden to request ‘urgent’ aid for Israel and Ukraine

“There are very vocal people in the administration who have concerns,” the official said. U.S. officials with family in the region are doubly stressed by the “ambassadorial” role they play as they field agitated messages from relatives and others angry at Biden’s Israel strategy.