From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 16, 2024
Top Biden officials discuss rising antisemitism, Islamaphobia with Jewish, Arab and Muslim youth
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Several top Biden administration officials held a roundtable discussion with young leaders in the Jewish, Arab and Muslim American communities in New York earlier today regarding the rise of antisemitism and Islamaphobia since October 7.
Leading the conversation were US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and US ambassador for international religious freedom, Rashad Hussain.
“During the conversation, participants shared their personal stories, discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and described the impact of the sharp rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hate on their families and communities,” says a White House readout.
For their part, the US officials “described efforts to seek peace, security and dignity for both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people and to address the recent increase in hate-fueled rhetoric and violence.”
“They emphasized the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to bringing communities together and fostering interfaith dialogue to form solutions and forge paths forward,” the readout adds.
