In a move that has raised eyebrows, President Biden dispatched senior aides to Michigan on Thursday to engage with Arab American and Muslim community leaders.
Among those reportedly invited to the discussion was an individual who has previously voiced support for the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
The move comes amidst mounting criticism from the Muslim community over Biden's handling of the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. The Associated Press, which initially reported on the forum, suggested that the event could help the administration "mend ties" with a community that is expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 elections in the battleground state.
The White House did not disclose the list of attendees, but reports suggest that Osama Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News based in Dearborn, Michigan, was among the invitees.
"I'm for the dialogue, and I believe we owe it to our country and to our community and the people in Gaza, to listen and be heard," Siblani said about the meeting. He confirmed that the White House had extended an invitation to him and that he intended to participate.
However, Siblani's inclusion in the discussion raises questions, given his past public support for Hezbollah. In 2006, during a conflict between the organization and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, Siblani expressed his support for Hezbollah. This was at a time when the FBI had issued a national alert for law enforcement to investigate and profile Hezbollah sympathizers.
"If the FBI wants to come after those who support the resistance done by Hezbollah, then they better bring a fleet of buses," Siblani told the Chicago Tribune. "I, for one, would be willing to go to jail."
This was not the first time Siblani had voiced support for the terrorist organization. In 2004, he told the Washington Post that Al Manar, Hezbollah's TV station, was popular among Arab Americans due to its unwavering support for "resistance against Israeli occupation." This was after the State Department had designated Al Manar as a supporter of terrorism and banned it in the United States. Siblani disagreed with the State Department's assertion that Al Manar "incites violence."
The Thursday discussion was organized by the White House and included senior-level Biden aides such as Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Jon Finer, the principal deputy national security adviser, and Steven Benjamin, the director of the Office of Public Engagement.
"Joe Biden is a traitor to America," Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for Make America Great Again Inc., told Fox News Digital. "After spending decades enriching himself and his family through corrupt dealings with America's enemies, he is now selling out America's closest ally and friend to terrorists."
"This meeting is an affront to the dozens of Americans and hundreds of Israelis who lost their lives on Oct. 7, and the millions of Israelis who wake up every morning under siege by Islamic terrorism," Pfeiffer said.
Login