The top US diplomat marked the start of National Arab American Heritage Month in a statement Tuesday by noting that it comes “at a time of immense pain.”
“More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, many of them civilians, including thousands of children. Friends and family members of Arab Americans of Palestinian descent, including our colleagues at the Department of State, are grieving lost loved ones,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The Biden administration has come under immense scrutiny domestically, and from members of the US government workforce, for its policy on Israel and the Gaza war.
Blinken said the US is committed to pursuing a deal that would secure the release of hostages still being held in Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid to enter the enclave.
“I value the conversations I have participated in with my Arab American colleagues and with members of the larger Arab American community on US policy in the region. I will continue to seek their counsel as we pursue lasting peace and security in the Middle East,” he said.