Washington, DC [US], October 20 : US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have spoken with the family of a Palestinian-American boy killed in a hate crime outside of Chicago this week, according to a statement released by the White House.
Joe Biden and Jill Biden offered condolences to the family of Wadea Alfayoumi and prayed for the full recovery of Wadea's mother. He spoke to Alfayoumi's family right after delivering an address to the nation on Thursday (local time).
White House in a statement said, "Following the President's Oval Office address to the nation this evening, the President and First Lady spoke tonight to the father of Wadea Alfayoumi, as well as Wadea's uncle."
"The President and First Lady expressed their deepest condolences to the Alfayoumi family as they mourn; their prayers that Wadea's mother, Hannan Shahin, makes a full recovery; and their commitment to keep speaking out against anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim hate and violence," it added.
In the press release, the Will County Sheriff's Office said that Joseph M Czuba, a native of Plainfield, Ill., was charged with first-degree murder. He was also charged with attempted first-degree murder; two counts of a hate crime; and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Biden spoke about the attack in his Oval Office address to the nation on Thursday. He reiterated US support for Israel amid its counter-offensive against terrorist group Hamas and denounced both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate.
In his address to the nation, Biden said, "Today, Jewish families worried about being targeted in school wearing symbols of their face walking down the street or going out about their daily lives you I know many of you in the Muslim American Community the Arab American Community, the Palestinian American community and so many others are outraged and hurting saying to yourselves here we go again with islamophobia and distrust we saw after 9/11."
"Just last week a mother was brutally stabbed, a little boy here in the United States, a little boy who just turned six years old was murdered in their home outside of Chicago his name was Wadea, a proud American a proud Palestinian American family we can't stand by and stand silent when this happens," he added.
On Sunday, six-year-old boy Wadea Alfayoumi was stabbed to death when his landlord broke into his residence and attacked him and his mother, The Hill reported. In the news release, the Will County Sheriff's Office said that Joseph M Czuba was charged with First-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, hate crime (2 counts), and aggravated battery with a deadly Weapon.
The sheriff's office said, "detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."
In his address to the nation, Biden has called for a massive new aid package for Israel and Ukraine and at the same time, has strongly denounced a rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the US.
Biden made the case to Americans that it's vital to both global and US national security to assist Israel as it responds to terror attacks by Hamas as well as to continue help for Ukraine as it fends off Russian invaders.
"That's why tomorrow I'm going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America's national security needs - needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine. It's a smart investment that's gonna pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said.
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