This week, to mark Nowruz, which is celebrated as that first day of spring and the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world, President Biden issued a new year’s greeting — and made sure to mention the Palestinians, reportedly becoming the only leader besides Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to speak about them while commemorating the holiday.
“Today, Jill and I send our best wishes to the millions of people around the world celebrating Nowruz — a time of reflection, renewal, and rebirth,” Biden wrote, adding, “We feel it as communities gather to make this celebration such a joyous part of American culture—one that reflects the soul of who we are as a nation, and reminds us that hope lies ahead.:
“This year, Nowruz comes at a difficult time for many — when this hope is needed more than ever,” he continued. “The United States will continue to stand with the courageous women of Iran, who are fighting for their freedoms. And together with our partners, we will hold Iranian officials to account for denying fundamental human rights. The war in Gaza has also inflicted terrible suffering on the Palestinian people, and we will continue to lead international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance to them — including urgently needed food, water, medicine and shelter.”
I cannot get over the fact that President Biden’s statement marking the Persian New Year (Nowruz) randomly mentions the war in Gaza.
Nowruz is not an Arab holiday or a Muslim holiday.
And no mention of Afghanistan where the Taliban has canceled Nowruz as a holiday.
Who… pic.twitter.com/01sJSbLPCQ
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 22, 2024
💯 🤯
Arash Aalaei / @IranIntl_En notes that the only other world leader other than Biden that ever mentioned Palestinians in their Nowruz greetings to Iranians was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
pic.twitter.com/8qtpCPQ5VC— Sia Kordestani (@SiaKordestani) March 22, 2024
At the same time, Biden claimed he stands with the “courageous women of Iran, who are fighting for their freedoms” and said, “We will hold Iranian officials to account for denying fundamental human rights,” his administration has been sending more money to the despotic Iranian regime that is denying women their freedoms and denying fundamental human rights.
Last November, the Biden administration granted Iraq a new 4-month waiver that made it possible to release billions of dollars to Iran that had been blocked by sanctions. Iraq owed Roughly $10 billion to Iran but could not transfer the funds until American sanctions were lifted. Although the Biden administration claimed the funds would be used exclusively for Iran’s humanitarian needs, critics pointed out that the money was fungible and could be used for Iran’s nuclear activities.
“We must deny these terror groups Iran’s resources by permanently freezing the $6B in Qatar, $10B in Iraq, and enforcing sanctions for China’s purchases of Iranian oil,” said Idaho GOP Senator Jim Risch, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
That waiver was renewed on March 13, six weeks after an Iran-backed drone killed three members of the American military in Jordan.
“The Biden administration is giving access to $10 billion to an Islamist regime that recently killed three American soldiers, wounded dozens more, shut down shipping in the Red Sea, is rapidly advancing its nuclear weapons program, and is attacking Israel,” Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, stated.