Biden’s Gaza Response Frustrates Arab-Americans, Progressives
WASHINGTON—President Biden reiterated his staunch support for Israel in the wake of attacks by Hamas militants during a visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. But back in the U.S., he’s faced criticism from progressives, Muslims and Arab-Americans, who say his sympathy for lost Palestinian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is too little too late. “I’ll vote for him.
But I’ve spent 45 years of my life building credibility with my community, and I can’t go to them and ask them, at this point, to support him," said James Zogby, the founder of the Arab American Institute and a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee. While in Israel, Biden said the U.S. would back its longtime ally in its war with Hamas amid attacks that have killed more than 1,400 Israelis.
Biden also mourned the loss of Palestinian lives and announced $100 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza—after making references to Palestinians in prior speeches that mostly drew a distinction between civilians and Hamas amid the conflict. By the time of Biden’s visit, more than 3,000 people, including at least 700 children, had already been killed in Gaza.
A total siege by Israel, which cut off supplies of water, fuel and food to the enclave, had triggered a humanitarian crisis that the United Nations and other aid groups said had pushed Gaza to the brink of collapse. About 600,000 people had fled northern Gaza for the south, but still lacked critical supplies. A deadly blast at a Gaza hospital has heightened tensions, sparking protests in cities across the Middle East.
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