Top Biden aides meet with Arab American and Muslim community leaders in Michigan

White House officials met with Arab and Muslim-American community leaders in Michigan on Thursday amid growing community discontent over the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

“This conference was held to ensure that the White House and those who have the ability to change the course of the genocide occurring in Gaza can hear and understand the demands of our community directly from us. said Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Michigan. (D) says: Post thread on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We are uncompromising in our values ​​and calls for a permanent ceasefire, ending unrestricted military assistance to the State of Israel and expediting humanitarian aid and financing. [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,] Among other things,” Hammoud continued in the thread.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also discussed the meeting during her daily press briefing Thursday. saying It is part of “Biden and Harris’ continued advocacy efforts for Muslim and Arab Americans.”

“[W]I would like to hear directly from them. We want to hear their concerns. We believe it is important for these leaders to have direct access to White House officials,” Jean-Pierre said.

The aide’s visit to Michigan, first reported by CNN, reportedly included U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Powers. Tom Perez, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez; John Finer, Chief of National Security Advisor; Steve Benjamin, Director, Office of Public Engagement; Jamie Citron, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Public Engagement; Mazen Basrawi, NSC Director of Partnerships and Global Engagement. Dan Coe, Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs;

In remarks from the White House on Thursday, Biden criticized Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip to the October attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, calling it “overreach.”

“I’ve been working really hard to get humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Biden said. “There are a lot of innocent people who are going hungry, there are a lot of innocent people who are suffering and dying. And it has to stop.”