President Biden apologized to several prominent Muslim-American leaders for publicly questioning Palestinian death tolls reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, a new report says.
Biden gathered with five American Muslim leaders a day after his Oct. 25 comments about Gaza deaths reportedly shook the Muslim community, vowing to “do better.”
During the meeting, which was initially planned for 30 minutes but lasted more than twice as long, Biden heard the leaders describe individuals they know who have been personally affected by the conflict.
“I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself,” Biden told the group, the Washington Post reported.
The day before, during a press conference, the president publicly questioned the accuracy of the casualty figures from Gaza, based on Hamas’ record of violence.
President Biden, facing criticism at home, is increasingly trying to pressure Israel to minimize civilian casualties. AP
“I don’t think that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people have been killed,” Biden said.
“I’m sure innocent people have been killed, and it’s the price of waging war,” he added.
More than 14,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including many women and children, have been killed in the conflict, according to data from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.
Israel has suffered more than 1,200 deaths – many of them civilians, who were killed when the terrorist group launched a sneak attack on Israel on October 7, according to the Jewish state.
Muslim-American leaders who met with Biden urged him to show more empathy for the Palestinian people. Biden reportedly hugged one of the participants at the end of the meeting.
A large banner reading “Biden: Ceasefire Now” alongside fake white body bags representing those killed in the escalating conflict in Gaza is seen outside the White House on November 15.AP
Biden has faced pressure from members of his own administration, including a group of 20 staffers this month who wanted to hear strategies to reduce civilian deaths in Gaza, the outlet said.
Some prominent Democrats have publicly disparaged the president’s response to a war that has engulfed half the world.
Biden has reaffirmed US support for Israel following the bloody October 7 attack.
But he is also increasingly pushing for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian aid to flow into the besieged Gaza Strip and for hostages to be released.
“For weeks, I have been advocating for a cessation of hostilities for two purposes: to increase aid to Gaza’s civilians in need and to facilitate [the] hostage release,” Biden said Sunday.
“We know that innocent children in Gaza are also suffering a lot,” the president said.
Smoke billows over Gaza City on Oct. 7. 2023, during the Israeli airstrikes. AFP via Getty Images
Hamas and Israel agreed to a four-day ceasefire while a hostage deal for the prisoners took place.
The truce began Friday, and Hamas has agreed to release about 50 hostages in return for temporary peace and dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
The president has increasingly pleaded with Israel to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible in its efforts to uproot Hamas.
During a news conference on Friday, Biden was asked about how some members of his own party wanted conditions placed on aid to the staunch US ally.
“Well, I think that’s a worthwhile thought, but I don’t think if I had started with that, we would have gotten to where we are,” Biden replied.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan refused Sunday to reject the condition of imposing aid to Israel.
The president is asking Congress to send about $14.3 billion in aid to Israel.AP
The White House did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment Sunday.
Sentiment among Arab-Americans toward Biden appears to have soured significantly since the outbreak of the war.
A scant 17.4% of Arab-Americans said they would vote for Biden in 2024, according to a poll conducted last month by John Zogby Strategies, with a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
