Biden 'disturbed' by alleged attack on Palestinian-American child

US President Joe Biden said on Monday he was “deeply troubled” by reports that a woman tried to drown a Palestinian-American child in a swimming pool in Texas.

The woman was charged with capital murder, according to court records, following the May incident that gained national attention over the weekend.

The 42-year-old man, identified as Elizabeth Wolf, allegedly approached a mother who was wearing a hijab by the pool of a suburban apartment near Dallas.

She then asked if the mother's six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter belonged to her and also made racist statements, according to US media.

The woman allegedly grabbed the boy, who was able to free himself, then the girl, whom she pushed under the water.

“No child should ever be subjected to violent attack, and my heart goes out to the family,” Biden said on X on Monday.

“I am deeply troubled by reports of an attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American in a neighborhood swimming pool,” he said.

On Saturday, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has called for an investigation into hate crimes, held a press conference about the incident.

In a CAIR statement, the mother said her family was made up of American citizens of Palestinian origin.

This episode comes as the war in Gaza stirs up strong passions in the United States, particularly on university campuses, where numerous demonstrations have taken place.

It also gave rise to a number of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts across the country.

In November, a man shot and injured three students of Palestinian origin in the northeastern state of Vermont.

And in early October, a six-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death near Chicago in a crime directly linked to the war in Gaza, according to police.