Biden said to meet with Muslim American leaders amid fury over his response to Gaza war
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden held an unpublicized meeting with Muslim American community leaders at the White House earlier today, CNN reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The move comes amid growing fury among Arab and Muslim Americans over Biden’s support for Israel’s military response to the Hamas onslaught, which he has stressed must include protections for Palestinian civilians.
The president came under particular fire yesterday for saying that he has “no confidence” in the death tally from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Muslims make up just over one percent of the American population but are concentrated in several swing states such as Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Georgia.
A source told CNN that today’s meeting focused on the White House’s efforts to combat Islamophobia — a top concern for Muslim Americans after the brutal murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American outside of Chicago by a man who police say targeted him and his mother due to their religion and heritage background.
