US President Joe Biden will reportedly host a smaller iftar at the White House on Tuesday in response to several prospective guests who turned down invites in disapproval of the administration's handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, according to sources.
According to an undisclosed source cited by The National, it is anticipated that approximately five or six individuals will be present at the "working iftar" scheduled for Tuesday. Numerous individuals have declined the invitations extended for this occasion.
According to a second source, it was expected that Vice President Kamala Harris, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and several Muslim staff members would be in attendance.
By declining to back an extended truce in Gaza or place restrictions on military supplies to Israel, the Biden administration has infuriated the Muslim and Arab populations in the United States.
Mr. Biden's coalition includes Muslim and Arab Americans as he runs for reelection. Conversely, some claim they were fooled by a president who ran on the platform of elevating minority populations in the US and advancing peace in the Middle East.
Over 32,000 Palestinians have died since the violence started, according to Gaza health officials. Still, the US continues to arm Israel without making any effort to monitor or control its usage.
Notwithstanding US demands for more assistance to enter the restricted region, sickness, starvation, and malnourishment are increasing throughout the Gaza Strip.
Individuals who have previously harbored skepticism towards Mr. Biden's stances over recent months have voiced reservations regarding the prospect of collaboration with the administration yielding policy alterations.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to provide a comment regarding the occurrence of the event. The Gaza Palestinian American Association expressed their condemnation of the event through an official statement.
"We believe that Arab and Muslim leaders are at risk of conveying an implicit endorsement of the administration's policies towards Palestine through their participation in this event," stated Reem Al Dahdah, an official spokesperson for the organization.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, shared a picture of herself and her visitors from an iftar she threw last week on social media. Some said that she and the US were exacerbating the Gaza humanitarian catastrophe.
In addition to various states, municipalities in Illinois and Wisconsin initiated comparable campaigns involving protest voting.
For the majority of the past two decades, the White House has been a venue for hosting annual iftars, which are well-attended by the staff, elected representatives, and distinguished individuals from the Muslim community.
When the President of the United States, Donald Trump, issued executive orders in 2017 that imposed restrictions on citizens from specific countries with a predominantly Muslim population, they deviated from established norms and customs.
Last year, the Biden administration hosted a grand Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House in commemoration of the conclusion of Ramadan. During the event, skilled musicians performed traditional Arabic music.
There were individuals who expressed doubt regarding the possibility of a similar occurrence this year.