Conservatives barraged Joe Biden with criticism after the White House Thursday announced the “First-Ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia” – in the midst of the greatest wave of antisemitism since the Holocaust. GOP presidential contender and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said on X: “We have an antisemitism epidemic in or country, and Joe [Biden’s] and Kamala Harris’ response is to focus on …This is pathetic and completely tone deaf.”

In the statement, the administration promised to continue “our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms.” It is part of a larger anti-discrimination strategy that includes efforts to combat antisemitism.

Vice-President Kamala Harris announced the new task force in an X post video speech Wednesday, condemning “all forms of hate,” including “antisemitic attacks.”

“As a result of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we have seen an uptick in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents across America,” Harris said in the speech, which conservatives blasted for its “equity” approach that fails to acknowledge that it is specifically pro-Hamas Muslim who are carrying out the antisemitic attacks and crude anti-Israel rhetoric worldwide.

Conservative commentator and Townhall editor Katie Pavlich noted that the people stoking antisemitism in America “are also waving Palestinian flags,” and said: “There are a lot of people in this country who are justifying the October 7” terror-attack against Israel.

The timing of the announcement – amidst rising intimidation and harassment of Jews in the United States and abroad – flabbergasted conservatives like Carmine Sabia, who said in an X post Thursday: “Jews were slaughtered in Israel. Jews are being threatened on college campuses in the United States. President Joe Biden’s solution? Create a ‘National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia.’”

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian Democrats were not satisfied with the nascent “Islamophobia” effort, with one Black Muslim activist in Chicago, Rami Nashashibi, calling it “‘dead on arrival’ with the Muslim community until the president and administration officials forcefully condemn members of the far-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who have openly called for the eradication of Palestinians from Gaza and until the administration more aggressively calls out hate crimes targeting Muslims and Arab Americans,” AP reported Wednesday.

The following is the full White House “Islamophobia” statement issued by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre:

President Biden ran for office to restore the soul of our nation. He is unequivocal: there is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period.

Today, he and Vice President Harris are announcing that their Administration will develop the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States. We look forward to continuing our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms. For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents. We all mourn the recent barbaric killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy, and the brutal attack on his mother in their home outside Chicago.

Today’s announcement is the latest step as part of President Biden’s directive last year to establish an interagency group to increase and better coordinate U.S. Government efforts to counter Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and related forms of bias and discrimination within the United States. Moving forward, the President, Vice President, and our entire Administration will continue working to ensure every American has the freedom to live their lives in safety and without fear for how they pray, what they believe, and who they are.

Buck Sexton of the “Clay and Buck Show” that replaced Rush Limbaugh’s show opined on X: “Biden announcing a national strategy to combat ‘Islamophobia’ at a time when there’s a crisis of antisemitism is wrong, cynical – and entirely predictable.” Sexton and co-host Clay Travis shared the sentiment that the White House was announcing the task force for political reasons, as Muslims – a core Biden voting block – are souring on the administration defending Israel strongly against Hamas.

This article was originally published by the WND News Center.

This post originally appeared on WND News Center.