Arab American doctor walks out of meeting with Biden in protest of Israel-Hamas war

WASHINGTON ― A Palestinian American doctor walked out of a private meeting between Muslim leaders and President Joe Biden that was held Tuesday evening after the group turned down an earlier White House invitation to attend a Ramadan dinner.

The moment underscored the anger many in the Arab American community have towards Biden over his support for the Israel-Hamas war.

Dr. Thaer Ahmad, an emergency doctor who has worked in the Gaza Strip during the war, was among a small group of Muslim leaders who met with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other White House officials Tuesday to discuss the administration's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ahmad, in an interview with CNN, said he was the first to speak to Biden and told the president, "I am from a community that's reeling, we are grieving, and our heart is broken for what's been taking place over the last six months."

He said he then told Biden he planned to walk out of the meeting "out of respect" for his community and the Palestinians who have suffered or been killed in Gaza.

"I needed to walk out of the meeting," Ahmad said. "I wanted to let them know what it feels like for somebody to say something and then walk away from them and not hear them out and not hear their response."

Ahmad said Biden responded that he understood.

"And, I walked away," Ahmad said.

The White House initially invited Arab-American leaders to a larger iftar dinner, the traditional breaking of the fast meal during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. But several declined to go, arguing it would be inappropriate to break bread while people in Gaza face the threat of famine.

Instead, the White House held a policy meeting with Muslim leaders followed by a more intimate iftar dinner for Muslims who work in the Biden administration.

"We adjusted the format to be responsive and so that we can get feedback from them," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "This is what they wanted.  And we understand that."

Jean-Pierre on Wednesday said the White House understands what many in the Arab American community are feeling.

"It is a deeply painful moment for many in the Arab and Muslim community," she said, adding that Biden expressed his commitment to work to secure an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and told the group that he "mourns the loss of every innocent life in this conflict."

Jean-Pierre would not comment on Ahmad's decision to walk out.

"We said that we would keep these conversations private. So, I'm not going to comment on any private discussions," she said. "But as I've said many times from this moment, the president respects any American's right to peacefully protest."

Salima Suswell, founder and CEO of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, said she attended the White House meeting to "call upon the president face-to-face for an immediate and permanent cease-fire."

"I did not make this decision lightly," Suswell said in a statement on her decision to attend.

Biden faces immense pressure from young, progressive and Arab American voters as he remains steadfast in his support of Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that prompted Israel's war in Gaza. The White House has increasingly been at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and his planned military operation in Rafah in southern Gaza.

The meeting came after Biden expressed outrage over the death of seven humanitarian aid workers, including one American, for the nonprofit group World Central Kitchen who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

"They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war," Biden said in a statement. "They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy."

Biden said Tuesday the U.S. would continue to do all it can to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, "through all available means." The president vowed to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid and said his administration is pushing hard for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage-release deal.

Contributing: Reuters and Michael Collins, USA TODAY

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Muslim leader walks out of Ramadan meeting with Biden in war protest