Israel’s military operation against Hamas in Gaza is spinning out of control and moving toward a regional war over the narrative of a Jews-versus-Muslims question of existence for both sides. The Biden administration, as the leadership of Israel’s long-time ally state, is facing a loss of political support from American Muslims amidst the widespread anger directed at Israel. So the Democrats are doing what one would expect of them – running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.
As the support in billions sent to Ukraine against Russia faded in the Republican-led House of Representatives, the military-industrial complex hit on a new mine for funds in military aid – Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza, one of two territories of the State of Palestine. Even before the Republicans picked the new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, the Biden administration had drafted a $100 billion foreign aid package to present to the House. Majority of the requested funds in this draft are for Ukraine, and a much smaller part for Israel, but both essentially going out through the same hands.
In addition to military aid for Israel, Biden visited the Middle Eastern state and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show support for Israel. With Israeli bombing of buildings in Gaza causing thousands of casualties of civilians including children, much of it caught on camera and shared on social media around the clock, Muslims around the world started to react in protest.
Given that Muslims make a significant number of votes in certain blue states, the Biden administration could see it coming. Accordingly, Joe Biden already had announced humanitarian aid for civilian victims of Israeli military action in Gaza during his Israel visit. The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also parroted concern for Muslims against hate crimes targeting them in the United States.
In an alert to the Democrats, NBC News reported on October 25 that Muslim voters, especially those in Michigan where a few cities have now a majority Arab-Muslim population, are turning against them.
Now, though, Muslim leaders are warning that Democrats risk losing their support, too, if Biden and the party do not do more to combat Islamophobia and address the pain many are feeling about the war in Gaza.
With reports of Muslim voters mad at the Biden-Harris government ahead of the next presidential election, the Biden-Harris team continued appeasing the Muslim vote bank using the Islamophobia script that reminds Muslims that they are victims of hate and bigotry in America and that the Biden admin is there to protect them.
On Wednesday (November 1), VP Kamala Harris released a video to announce the launch of the “First National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia” aimed at protecting Muslims from hate, bigotry, and violence as well as ending the discrimination against Muslims.
While voting in the United Nations against a ceasefire, which is what most Muslims and all opponents of Israel’s ongoing attacks destroying Palestinian civilians in Gaza are demanding, the Biden administration is pretending to care about the Muslims in Gaza. On Monday (October 30), the New York Times reported that the Biden administration supports Israel but at the same time is “more critical” of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza resulting from the way Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is carrying out the devastating bombings.
The next day (October 31), the National Muslim Democratic Council called on Biden and asked for using his influence to broker an immediate ceasefire. Reuters reported that Muslims penned an open letter to mobilize “Muslim, Arab, and allied voters” to “withhold endorsement, support, or votes” for those candidates in the next election who support Israel’s operation against the Palestinian people.
For the Democrats, supporting Israel and appeasing Muslims at the same time has become a feat of political jugglery; though many American liberals, including Jews, are also protesting against Biden’s pro-Israel stance in the current crisis.