The White House has received cautionary messages from Muslim leaders indicating that some may decline invitations to President Biden’s Ramadan reception due to his support for Israel’s actions against Hamas. As a result, the administration is preparing for a scaled-down version of the event, potentially limiting invites to Biden administration officials and ambassadors from Muslim-majority nations, Politico reports.
In previous years, Biden has hosted large gatherings of Muslim community leaders in the White House East Room to commemorate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. However, this year’s event may see fewer attendees.
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Former President Donald Trump notably broke with tradition in 2017 by opting not to host a Ramadan event, but later resumed the tradition in subsequent years, primarily attended by foreign diplomats.
According to Muslim Public Affairs Council President Salam al-Marayati, there is little enthusiasm within the Muslim community to celebrate Ramadan with President Biden, particularly in light of his support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Biden’s backing of Israel’s operations has led to a decline in support among Arab Americans. A poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute last October showed that only 17.4% of Arab American voters would support Biden in 2024, down from 59% in 2020.
Furthermore, tensions escalated in Michigan, with Muslim and Arab American leaders expressing dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. A significant number of Michigan voters chose to vote “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primary as a form of protest against the president’s policies.
The White House has responded by sending a delegation of top officials to Michigan, acknowledging “missteps” in their handling of the situation and attempting to address concerns within the Muslim and Arab American communities.
