MEAWW.COM / NEWS / POLITICS

'Empty words': Joe Biden slammed as he apologizes to Muslim-American leaders for questioning death toll reported by Gaza health ministry

While Joe Biden vowed to 'do better' and said he was 'sorry' and 'disappointed in myself' for questioning the death toll, netizens feel the President's mea culpa falls short

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden sat down with five prominent Muslim-American leaders to apologize for publicly questioning the Palestinian death toll amid the recent ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The meeting came a day after Biden sparked outrage in the Islamic community by openly doubting the casualty figures reported by the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, as per the New York Post.

Internet criticizes Joe Biden's apology

While Biden vowed to "do better" and said he was "sorry" and "disappointed in myself," many on the internet feel the president's mea culpa falls short.

In the October 26 meeting, which lasted over an hour, Biden reportedly heard first-hand from the Muslim leaders about individuals affected by the conflict. But his apology has done little to quell criticism on social media.

"So disappointed he can't be bothered to publicly correct the record," wrote one user about the private nature of Biden's apology.

"Apparently not disappointed enough to change course. Empty words again," added another.

One user simply stated "Too little too late," while another said, "Many people who voted for him in 2020 are MORE disappointed in him than he is in himself, I can assure him."

One user suggested Biden was just trying to smooth over a gaffe and wrote, "Joe is a professional politician of 50 years, he is trying to cover up a deeply revealing 'mask-off' moment."

Joe Biden's remarks over Palestinian deaths draw backlash

The controversy began on October 25 when Biden openly doubted the accuracy of Palestinian casualty reports from Gaza.

Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in the recent fighting there, according to data from Gaza's Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.

But in a press conference, Biden said bluntly, "I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed."

He acknowledged innocents were dying, but questioned whether Hamas was inflating the numbers for propaganda purposes.

Israel has reported over 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians killed in Hamas' surprise attack on October 7th. With Hamas' history of terror attacks, Biden intimated the group couldn't be considered a reliable source on casualties.

His remarks drew intense backlash from Muslim civil rights organizations and some Democratic lawmakers. The meeting on October 26 was planned for 30 minutes, but Biden spent over an hour trying to make amends.

Muslim leaders urge Biden to show more empathy for Palestinians

The Muslim-American leaders reportedly urged Biden to show more empathy for the Palestinian side. They wanted assurances of a strategy to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza.

Biden has faced mounting pressure, even from his staffers, over the heartbreaking images of suffering coming out of the besieged territory.

At the end of the meeting, Biden hugged one of the participants. But the leaders likely wanted more than just warm words behind closed doors. Publicly, Biden has firmly backed Israel's right to self-defense following Hamas' attack.

And while calling for pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian relief, he has stopped short of supporting restrictions on US assistance requested by some in his party.

It remains to be seen whether Biden's private apology will be enough to regain the trust of Arab Americans. A recent poll showed only 17.4% would vote for him in 2024, a drastic decline attributed mainly to unhappiness over his response to Gaza.