President Biden will mark Ramadan on Tuesday with an unusually small iftar dinner as strains over the administration’s approach to the war in Gaza bleed into White House traditions.
Some declined invitations to the event because Mr. Biden is supporting Israel during the Gaza conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The fewer people are resulting in a scaled-down version, reported CNN.
The news outlet, citing an unnamed official, said Vice President Kamala Harris, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, senior White House aides and fewer than a dozen guests will be on hand.
An iftar dinner marks the breaking of a daily fast after sundown during Ramadan, a holy month in the Muslim calendar.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the dinner will follow a “working group” meeting with Muslim leaders. She said the White House adjusted the format under a request from the leaders.
“They wanted it to be private,” she said.
Yet for months, Mr. Biden has struggled to balance long-standing support for Israel, which suffered terror raids on Oct. 7 from Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, with humanitarian concerns around the Israel government’s reprisals against Hamas.
Muslim Americans who could decide whether Mr. Biden is reelected in November have aired their frustration with the president, particularly in swing-state Michigan.
The Biden administration says it has pressured Israel to scale down its assault on Gaza and minimize civilian deaths. However, an Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers this week will fuel tensions and calls to withdraw U.S. support for Israel and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The administration hopes the iftar dinner will give Muslim Americans an opportunity to air their thoughts on the Gaza war with the president, according to CNN.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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