US works on new ways to fight Islamophobia as ally Israel torments Gaza with missiles
White House says it will develop a national plan to combat Islamophobia as President Biden faces skepticism from many Muslim Americans for his staunch support of Israel, which has killed nearly 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7.
Wounded Palestinians at Al Aqsa Hospital are being carried to ambulances to be transferred to Egypt for medical treatment through Rafah border crossing in Deir al Balah, Gaza.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it would develop a strategy to combat Islamophobia — an announcement that comes as tensions simmer nationwide over the war between Israel and Palestine.
"President Biden ran for office to restore the soul of our nation. He is unequivocal: there is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Wednesday.
"For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fuelled attacks and other discriminatory incidents."
The strategy will be developed in concert with the communities concerned, the White House said.
Jean-Pierre singled out what she called the recent "barbaric" killing of a six-year-old Palestinian American boy outside Chicago, which police have linked to the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
The US government has already launched a plan to counter anti-Semitism across the country.
The promise to do something similar to protect the Muslim community is not new, but Wednesday's announcement appeared to indicate new momentum, at a particularly charged moment.
Operation Al Aqsa Flood
The current conflict in besieged Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since October 7, began when Hamas resistance fighters initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.
Hamas said the incursion, during which it also grabbed some 240 hostages, was in retaliation for the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque and the daily violence by illegal Israeli settlers. Israel claims some 1,400 people were killed in the raid.
Israel has since then bombarded the enclave, home to 2.3 million people, and also sent tanks and artilleries, killing more than 8,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The response to the Israeli war by Biden, who went to Israel in a show of support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has prompted criticism from almost all walks of life in the US.
The 80-year-old Democrat has been accused of turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but the US leader has defended his actions, pointing to his efforts to get humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
A survey conducted by the Arab American Institute showed that Arab American voters have massively turned away from Biden: support for the incumbent, who faces reelection next year, dropped from 59 percent in 2020 to 17 percent now.
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