Biden indicated that Arab Americans were the target of hate crimes (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden said yesterday evening, Friday, that there is a feeling of “pain” felt by many Arab Americans due to the Israeli war on Gaza and American support for Tel Aviv.
Biden added in an announcement issued by the White House on the occasion of Arab American Heritage Month that he feels “deep sadness” over the suffering of Arab Americans, noting that he is working to enhance humanitarian aid to Gaza, release Israeli detainees held by Hamas, and reach an immediate ceasefire that will last at least 6 weeks. .
The US President said that Arab Americans were the target of hate crimes, and pointed to the stabbing incident that killed the 6-year-old Palestinian-American child, Wadih al-Fayoumi, in Illinois in October, and the shooting in November of 3 students of Palestinian origin in Vermont, and a Palestinian-American man was stabbed in February in Texas.
Many Muslims and Arabs in the United States urged the Democratic president to call for a permanent ceasefire, stop selling weapons to Israel, and use his influence to protect civilian lives as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza.
The Biden administration has been issuing statements since 2021, ahead of April, as it is Arab American Heritage Month, and this year’s announcement was longer than previous ones due to Biden’s statements regarding Gaza.
Protests were organized in many American cities in the past few months to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, including protests near airports and bridges in New York and Los Angeles, night vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington.
Protesters have been boycotting Biden campaign events and speeches, including a high-profile fundraising campaign in New York City on Thursday.
The protesters are asking Biden to meet their demands or risk losing their support in next November’s elections. Arab and Muslim Americans are unlikely to support Biden’s rival, former Republican President Donald Trump, but observers say they may be absent from the elections and deprive Biden of decisive votes, and they supported Biden. overwhelmingly in 2020.
Source: Reuters