The Biden administration distanced itself from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) following comments from the group’s director, Nihad Awad, that appeared to express support for the Palestinian terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7. In a statement, Mr. Awad had declared his happiness at seeing Palestinians break out of Gaza on the day of the Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,200 people and the seizure of 240 others as hostages.
President Biden’s spokesman, Andrew Bates, condemned Mr. Awad’s remarks, calling them “shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms.” The White House subsequently removed CAIR’s name from an online document discussing commitments to fight antisemitism.
Mr. Awad has been a controversial figure in Washington, facing accusations of sympathy for Hamas in the past despite his denial of any ties to the group. His recent remarks were widely circulated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri), prompting a response from the White House.
In response to the backlash, Mr. Awad claimed that his comments were taken out of context and distorted by “an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate website.” He explained that he was referring to Palestinians who crossed from Gaza into Israel after the border breach on Oct. 7 without engaging in violence, stating that they were within their rights under international law. However, he also condemned the extremists who went on to attack civilians in southern Israel, emphasizing that targeting civilians is unacceptable regardless of nationality.
The controversy surrounding Mr. Awad’s comments has brought renewed attention to the complex and contentious issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role of advocacy organizations like CAIR in the United States.