Trump vows to work towards peace at White House Iftar as Gaza is bombed

During his first Iftar dinner of his second term at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump thanked the "hundreds of thousands" of Muslim Americans who supported him in the 2024 election "in record numbers." Trump emphasized the importance of the Muslim community's support and pledged to continue supporting them during his presidency, highlighting a shift in political allegiances.

Speaking at the dinner on Thursday, Trump stated, "The Muslim community supported us in November, and as long as I'm president, I will support you." He further added, "My administration is actively engaged in relentless diplomacy to build lasting peace in the Middle East and to continue building on the historic Abraham Accords. Previously, everyone thought it was impossible, but now we will begin to perfect it," indicating a commitment to regional stability.

Trump was referring to the controversial normalization agreements brokered by the United States in 2020 between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. In the 2024 election, support for Trump among Arab Americans increased, breaking with traditional support for the Democratic Party, largely due to former U.S. President Joe Biden's support for Israel in the Gaza war, which caused considerable debate and division.

Despite Trump's repeated campaign promises to end wars and his brokering of a temporary ceasefire shortly before taking office in January, he reportedly "approved" Israel's resumption of fighting earlier this month. Allegedly, Israeli forces killed nearly 900 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, in 10 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that since Trump took office, he has approved nearly $12 billion in arms sales to Israel, demonstrating continued military support.

U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Middle Eastern Affairs Morgan Ortagus stated on Sunday that Washington had "unleashed Israel" by providing it with "all the weapons it needs to continue the war in Gaza." Shortly after taking office, Trump called for the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and announced that his administration would "take over" the enclave, relocate its residents elsewhere, and transform the area into "the Middle East's Riviera," outlining a controversial vision for the region.