Senior aides going to Michigan To meet with Arab American, Muslim leaders over Israel war

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is sending senior aides to Michigan on Thursday to meet with Arab American and Muslim leaders, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Some community leaders invited to the meeting said they welcome the opportunity to make their case directly to top Biden aides to use the administration’s leverage on Israel to press for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-hamas war, triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 were killed and another 250 were taken hostage.

“I’m going into that room and making it clear that the frustrations are that a cease-fire needs to be called,” said Michigan state Rep. Alabas Farhat, adding that there also needs to be a release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The meeting could give the administration a chance to try to mend ties with a community that has an important role in deciding whether the president can hold on to a crucial swing state in his campaign for a second term.

Biden has faced stiff criticism from the state’s sizable Arab American and Muslim population since the start of the war on Oct. 7. Some activists even called for members of the community not to vote for the Democrat in November.

“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,” Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News based in Dearborn, Michigan, told The Associated Press.

Administration officials making the trip to Michigan include Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer and Steven Benjamin, who directs the Office of Public Engagement, a White House official said.

All who discussed the plans were not authorized to do so publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The officials did not offer any details about the community members expected to attend.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-pierre declined to confirm details of the Michigan meeting, but said the administration has been consistent in outreach efforts to U.S. communities impacted by the war.

“Obviously, we’re going to listen and hear what leaders of that community” have to say, Jean-pierre said. “We are open to that, having a real honest dialogue.”

Others expected to attend the meeting are Tom Perez, who leads the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, as well as Mazen Basrawi, the White House liaison to American Muslim communities, and aides Jamie Citron and Dan Koh.