(CBS DETROIT) – One local organization that represents Middle Eastern Americans has written a letter to the Trump administration after it said it was troubled by the president’s comments on Gaza earlier this week.
The letter comes after Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip” and “own it,” and suggested that the Palestinian people should live elsewhere.
The comments troubled many Arab Americans in Metro Detroit, including Faye Nemer, the CEO of the Middle East and North Africa American (MENA) Chamber of Commerce. Nemer told CBS News Detroit that Mr. Trump’s press conference inspired her to draft the letter to his administration.
“That was the inflection point for us, hearing the commentary and the rhetoric during that press conference. It was very problematic and concerning from a community standpoint to hear such statements being made,” Nemer said.
In the open letter to the president, MENA notes that just before getting elected, Mr. Trump visited Dearborn and promised the Arab American community he would bring peace to the Middle East. Now, the organization is urging his administration to stick to that commitment.
Nemer says, though, that she’s optimistic because she says while Mr. Trump says a lot, he doesn’t always mean what he says and that the US taking over Gaza is unrealistic.
“We feel like it’s too far-fetched of a proposal. It is unrealistic,” she said.
Nemer says that many in her community are still supporting the president after voting for him in November, especially after this recent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. But she says if that plan in Gaza were to ever come to fruition, she could say many people would regret their decision to vote for him.
