White House Cuts Ties with CAIR Following Executive Director's Controversial Remarks

Nihad Awad's comments expressing happiness over the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel lead to the Biden administration's decision to sever ties with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The Biden administration has severed ties with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after the group's executive director, Nihad Awad, expressed happiness over the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
Awad's comments were made during a speech at the American Muslims for Palestine conference, where he suggested that Palestinians in Gaza have the right to self-defense, but Israel, as an occupying power, does not.
Following the surfacing of Awad's remarks, the White House removed CAIR's name from a May 25 document acknowledging the group as one of several organizations committed to countering antisemitism.
Awad has since claimed that his comments were taken out of context, stating that he was referring to Palestinians who crossed from Gaza into Israel after the border was breached but did not engage in violence.
Despite Awad's clarification, the White House has maintained its stance, condemning his remarks as 'shocking' and 'antisemitic.'