White House officials expected to meet with Arab and Muslim leaders in Chicago Thursday
(CNN) — Senior White House officials are planning to meet with Arab-, Muslim- and Palestinian-American community leaders in Chicago on Thursday, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, as President Joe Biden continues to grapple with anger and concern across the country about the Israel-Hamas war.
Posted — UpdatedThursday’s meeting would mark the latest in ongoing efforts by the Biden White House to hear directly about concerns over the situation in Gaza, though that is hardly expected to be the only issue discussed. Officials are also expected to more broadly discuss concerns about Islamophobia in the US in the aftermath of Hamas’ terror attacks on October 7.
Among those expected to participate in the meeting, according to sources, are: Tom Perez, the White House’s director of intergovernmental affairs; Steve Benjamin, White House director of public engagement; Mazen Basrawi, White House liaison to Muslim-American communities; Curtis Ried, the National Security Council chief of staff; and aides Dan Koh and Jamie Citron.
The White House declined to comment to CNN.
Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other top US officials have escalated calls for a ceasefire and for more humanitarian aid in recent weeks, urging Israel to do more to protect civilians. But negotiations remain stalled, even as the humanitarian toll of the Israel-Hamas war rises. Biden is confronting mounting discontent within his own party over his handling of the conflict, including young and progressive voters and voters in battleground states that will be critical to his 2024 coalition.
On Thursday, White House officials and community leaders are expected to discuss concerns ranging from the war to a rising tide of Islamophobic incidents. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it received 3,578 complaints of anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian incidents during the last three months of 2023, a 178% increase over the previous year.
Last month, senior Biden administration officials – including United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer – met with members of Arab- and Muslim-American communities in Michigan, home to one of the country’s largest Arab and Muslim populations.
Thursday’s meeting is a part of the White House’s ongoing efforts to reach Arab and Muslim communities. The White House has said it has had more than a hundred conversations with local and state leaders about the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is also fielding concerns internally; chief of staff Jeff Zients held a listening session with Muslim-, Arab-, and Palestinian-American staff, and he directed Biden’s Cabinet to reach out to their own Muslim-, Arab-, and Palestinian-American staff.
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