Conservatives barraged Joe Biden with criticism after the White House Thursday announced the “First-Ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia” – in the midst of the greatest wave of antisemitism since the Holocaust. GOP presidential contender and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said on X: “We have an antisemitism epidemic in or country, and Joe [Biden’s] and Kamala Harris’ response is to focus on Islamophobia. …This is pathetic and completely tone deaf.”
In the statement, the administration promised to continue “our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms.” It is part of a larger anti-discrimination strategy that includes efforts to combat antisemitism.
Vice-President Kamala Harris announced the new task force in an X post video speech Wednesday, condemning “all forms of hate,” including “antisemitic attacks”:
Taking on hate is a national priority.
Today, @POTUS and I are announcing the country's first National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia.
This action is the latest step forward in our work to combat a surge of hate in America. pic.twitter.com/pxZAn7RymY
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) November 1, 2023
“As a result of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we have seen an uptick in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents across America,” Harris said in the speech, which conservatives blasted for its “equity” approach that fails to acknowledge that it is specifically pro-Hamas Muslims who are carrying out the antisemitic attacks and engaging in crude anti-Israel rhetoric worldwide.
Conservative commentator and Townhall editor Katie Pavlich noted that the people stoking antisemitism in America “are also waving Palestinian flags,” and said: “There are a lot of people in this country who are justifying the October 7” terror-attack against Israel.
The timing of the announcement – amidst rising intimidation and harassment of Jews in the United States and abroad – flabbergasted conservatives like Carmine Sabia, who said in an X post Thursday: “Jews were slaughtered in Israel. Jews are being threatened on college campuses in the United States. President Joe Biden’s solution? Create a ‘National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia.'”
Jews were slaughtered in Israel.
Jews are being threatened on college campuses in the United States.
President Joe Biden's solution?
Create a "National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia."
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) November 2, 2023
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian Democrats were not satisfied with the nascent “Islamophobia” effort, with one Black Muslim activist in Chicago, Rami Nashashibi, calling it “‘dead on arrival’ with the Muslim community until the president and administration officials forcefully condemn members of the far-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who have openly called for the eradication of Palestinians from Gaza and until the administration more aggressively calls out hate crimes targeting Muslims and Arab Americans,” AP reported Wednesday.
We have an antisemitism epidemic in our country, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' response is to focus on Islamophobia.
This is pathetic and completely tone deaf. https://t.co/EqYDOBVg9b
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 2, 2023
The following is the full White House “Islamophobia” statement issued by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre:
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.
Today, he and Vice President Harris are announcing that their Administration will develop the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States. We look forward to continuing our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms. For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents. We all mourn the recent barbaric killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy, and the brutal attack on his mother in their home outside Chicago.
Today’s announcement is the latest step as part of President Biden’s directive last year to establish an interagency group to increase and better coordinate U.S. Government efforts to counter Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and related forms of bias and discrimination within the United States. Moving forward, the President, Vice President, and our entire Administration will continue working to ensure every American has the freedom to live their lives in safety and without fear for how they pray, what they believe, and who they are.
Buck Sexton of the “Clay and Buck Show” that replaced Rush Limbaugh’s show opined on X: “Biden announcing a national strategy to combat ‘Islamophobia’ at a time when there’s a crisis of antisemitism is wrong, cynical – and entirely predictable.” Sexton and co-host Clay Travis shared the sentiment that the White House was announcing the task force for political reasons, as Muslims – a core Biden voting block – are souring on the administration defending Israel strongly against Hamas.
Biden announcing a national strategy to combat “Islamophobia” at a time when there’s a crisis of anti-semitism is wrong, cynical- and entirely predictable
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) November 2, 2023
The main purpose of the "National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia" is to classify any form of opposition to the Palestinian color revolution, which is influenced by Marxist ideologies, as "hate" and subject to prosecution by Biden’s Department of Social Justice. https://t.co/LtHhtFCn3h
— Michael O'Fallon – Sovereign Nations (@SovMichael) November 2, 2023
Muslim Americans and their allies slam President Joe Biden's response to Israeli war on besieged Gaza, asking him to rein in Tel Aviv or risk losing their support in 2024 election
Read more 👇https://t.co/cDqnHhuC7K
— TRT World (@trtworld) October 25, 2023
AP reported that Nashashibi of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network” and other pro-Palestinian leaders are calling on “Biden to apologize, or at least publicly clarify, his recent comments in which he said he had ‘no confidence’ in the Palestinian death count from Israel’s retaliatory strikes, because the data comes from the Hamas-run Health Ministry.”
“The United Nations and other international institutions and experts, as well as Palestinian authorities in the West Bank — rivals of Hamas — say the Gaza ministry has long made a good-faith effort to account for the dead under the most difficult conditions. In previous wars, the ministry’s counts have held up to U.N. scrutiny, independent investigations and even Israel’s tallies,” AP reported.
The report noted that “White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the administration is ‘not taking the Ministry of Health at face value’ but he acknowledged there have been ‘many thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza’ in the conflict.”
In order to combat genocidal Jew-hatred, it is paramount that we focus on Islamophobia. https://t.co/jBpIEP3iOj
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) November 2, 2023
It's not "Islamophobic" to be angry about the October 7th attack, 9/11, Bali, Madrid, London, Paris, the Boston Marathon, San Bernardino, Charlie Hebdo, the Manchester Arena, the Brussels Metro, the Orlando nightclub, Salman Rushdie, Ft. Hood—etc. etc. https://t.co/jx3Qo44P6C
— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) November 2, 2023
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