Joe Biden Admin Snubbed by Michigan Officials During State Visit

Biden administration officials traveling to Michigan on Thursday to hold talks with members of the Muslim and Arab community there are reportedly being snubbed as some are said to be refusing to attend.

The White House said on Wednesday that it would send a delegation to listen to the Arab American community's concerns about the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

There has been a significant increase in criticism of the Biden administration among Arab Americans over the United States government's continued support of Israel in its invasion of the Gaza Strip, with some accusing it of being complicit in a genocide—a claim officials have denied.

Detroit's Dearborn suburb is home to America's largest Muslim population. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the district, was the first Palestinian American to be elected to Congress.

White House officials told NBC News on Wednesday that it was hearing from a range of viewpoints on the Israel-Hamas war and had been in regular contact with Muslim and Arab American leaders.

But there are signs that they will hear from few in Michigan. Abed Ayoub, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, wrote late on Wednesday night on X, formerly Twitter, that a meeting with Palestinian American community members was "close to being cancelled because of rejections."

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Thursday.

He also cited an Arab American PAC statement that called on "all people of conscience, especially Arab Americans, to refuse any meeting with the Biden campaign or administration at this time," describing them as "an exercise in cynical optics."

"Basically the Biden admin sent senior-level staff to meetings that could have been held over Zoom," Ayoub said.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

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