The White House claimed Tuesday that it was taking recent conversations with Arab American community leaders into consideration and attempting to “adjust” its response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
President Joe Biden has noticeably softened his absolute support for Israel’s offensive in recent months as civilian casualties continue to stack, and administration officials, including the president himself, have shown optimism toward brokering a new, six-week ceasefire in the fighting.
Still, Biden has hemorrhaged support from Arab and Muslim Americans since October, with some Arab Americans saying they will not vote for Biden until a ceasefire is reached. Senior administration officials traveled to Dearborn, Michigan, earlier in February to meet with community leaders ahead of the state’s 2024 Democratic primary on Tuesday.
“We take these conversations very seriously, and without getting into specific details or disclosing some of the things that we’ve been hearing, we are taking them on board,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters when asked about those talks during Tuesday’s press briefing. “We are willing to adjust the way we’re approaching the conflict and the way we’re talking about the conflict.”
Earlier in the briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that Biden “understands” the “deeply painful and personal moment” Arab Americans are going through.
“He cares about what that community is feeling very deeply, and we believe it’s important that they feel that they are able to express themselves and voice their feelings and their concerns,” she continued. “You heard the admiral talk about the hostage deal, the temporary ceasefire. That is why it is so critical and important to get that done.”
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The White House comments come on the same day of Michigan’s primary election. Arab and Muslim voters are boycotting Biden by voting “uncommitted” on the Democratic ballot to protest his policies in support of Israel.
You can watch Tuesday’s briefing in full below.
