Arab and Palestinian Americans recently met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss their concerns over the Israel-Hamas war and were disappointed with the lack of a clear plan for action from the Biden administration. The community is divided over engagement with the White House, with some declining invitations to meetings due to policies towards the conflict. It is believed that Biden must make significant policy changes to win back support from Arab and Muslim Americans and progressive voters ahead of the November elections.
At the meeting, the community made specific demands, including an immediate ceasefire, the return of hostages, withdrawal of Israeli forces, humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, an end to US arms shipments to Israel, and rebuilding of Palestinian communities. However, attendees left without any commitments from the administration to take action on these demands. Although some participants felt cautiously optimistic, others viewed the meeting as a failure in terms of changing US policy towards the situation in Gaza.
The Biden administration recently paused a shipment of bombs to Israel out of concerns for civilian safety, but attendees did not see this as a significant enough policy change to end the conflict. Engaging with the administration is viewed as important to drive policy change, but some attendees stated they would only return to the table if significant policy changes occur. Arab and Palestinian Americans feel neglected by the administration and are seeking real change in policies related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Many in the community feel that the administration has not made real policy changes and are concerned about potential risks in the upcoming elections. Some, like Ghada Elnajjar, who lost members of her family to the conflict, believe that the administration has not listened to their demands for action. Elnajjar, who previously supported the Biden campaign, is now uncertain about her support in the upcoming elections. Attendees at the meeting emphasized the importance of the administration not only losing support from Arab Americans but also allies from other backgrounds standing in solidarity.
The meeting with Blinken served as a last-ditch effort for the community to express their concerns and demands to the administration before the elections. There is a belief that the Biden administration must take significant action to address the Israel-Hamas conflict to win back support from Arab and Muslim Americans and progressive voters. The attendees highlighted the need for tangible policy changes and expressed frustration over the perceived lack of progress in addressing the crisis in Gaza.
