According to the Associated Press, senior Biden administration officials will be sent to Michigan on Thursday to meet with “Arab American and Muslim leaders in the battleground state as the left-wing split between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas continues.” It is said that
The visit also comes as President Joe Biden is vulnerable in the Wolverine State, trailing former President Donald Trump in several Michigan polls released in recent months.
Associated Press first report Three sources familiar with the plan described the impending meeting on Thursday. At the rally, Biden aides will come under intense pressure from some to seek a ceasefire in the war that began after Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis in an Oct. 7 terrorist attack. At least three officials will attend the meeting on behalf of the Biden administration: U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power, Vice President of National Security Adviser Jonathan Finner, and Director of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin.
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“‘I’m going to go into that room and make my grievances clear that we need to call for a cease-fire,’ and we also need to free hostages held by Hamas,” Michigan Rep. Arabas Farhat said. “There are also Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody,” AP’s Tamar Madani, Joey Cappelletti and Seung-min Kim noted.
Farhat, a Democrat, represents Dearborn County, where at least 10 Arab leaders attended a meeting scheduled for January with Biden campaign official Julie Chavez Rodriguez. He reported that he chose not to do so. I got it. at that time.of new york times report Thursday’s meeting will be held in Dearborn County.
Farhat said he expected Thursday’s meeting to be the first in a series that would “open up new channels directly to the White House.” Farhat said the talks were progress but “are not a substitute for a ceasefire or a change in policy,” the Associated Press reported.
Biden on the day of the Hamas attack emphasized“Israel has the right to defend itself,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed on January 26.However, during an appearance on CNN this morning, Jean-Pierre claimed that Israelis are “lessening their intensity” in fighting Hamas in Gaza “because of the conversations” Biden has had with Israel. Her comments highlight the tightrope the administration is walking to appeal to both pro-Israel and anti-Israel Democrats.
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Additionally, as UPI noted, in his formal request for aid to Congress in October, Biden called for bundling aid to Israel with aid to Ukraine and Taiwan, adding 140 to Israel. They requested $1 billion in military aid, which is clearly inconsistent with the law. to call Many within the party, including prominent far-left MPs, called for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, anti-Israel demonstrators have visited the White House multiple times, and a far-left demonstration in front of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., turned violent, and there is a possibility that a similar demonstration will take place at the Democratic National Convention. It reportedly raised concerns about sexuality. Summer in Chicago, Illinois.
The talks will take place under the Biden administration. trail The Real Clear Polling average gives Trump an average lead of 5.1 percentage points in the Wolverine State as of Thursday, which is concerning for a president who won the state by about 154,000 votes in 2020. It’s a sign. It is particularly noteworthy that the Muslim vote in Michigan boosted Biden’s support. According to the Associated Press, it was transferred to the White House after it was red flagged in 2016 for President Trump, and demographics will play a major role in determining who wins the state in November. Become.
