Biden Aides to Meet with Arab and Muslim Leaders in Michigan Regarding Gaza, Reports Reuters

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON – Senior officials from the U.S. government are set to visit Michigan on Thursday to engage with Arab-American and Muslim leaders who have expressed dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s response concerning the ongoing conflict in Gaza. They are particularly critical of his failure to call for a permanent ceasefire amid Israel’s military actions.

The delegation includes Samantha Power, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development; Steve Benjamin, the White House public engagement director; and his deputy, Jamie Citron. Additional officials present will be Tom Perez, head of the White House office of intergovernmental affairs; his deputy, Dan Koh; Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser; and Mazen Basrawi, director for partnerships and global engagement at the National Security Council.

These meetings follow recent refusals by community leaders in southeastern Michigan to meet with Biden campaign officials. They have stated that they would only engage in discussions with policymakers focused on halting Israeli attacks on Gaza and providing assistance to Palestinians.

On Tuesday, more than 30 elected officials throughout Michigan announced they would vote "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary scheduled for February 27, as a form of protest against Biden’s approach to the Gaza conflict. Some have even indicated they might not support Biden in the upcoming November election.

Administration representatives assert that these discussions are part of a broader strategy to maintain dialogue with community leaders and elected officials since the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7. They argue that a comprehensive ceasefire would inadvertently benefit Hamas, but they support limited pauses in hostilities to facilitate the release of hostages taken by Hamas and enable humanitarian aid to reach Gaza residents.

Ahmad Chebbani, the founder and chairman of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, expressed ongoing skepticism among community leaders. "They should have engaged with us months ago. I think this situation has become irreversible. You can’t really ignore the fact that tens of thousands have lost their lives," he remarked.

Israel launched its military offensive in response to the killing of 1,200 people and the abduction of 253 hostages by militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry reports that at least 27,585 Palestinians have been confirmed dead, with many more feared trapped under debris. So far, there has been only one truce, which lasted just a week at the end of November.