Rupi Kaur Declines White House Diwali Invitation Due to Israel-Gaza Response

Canadian poet Rupi Kaur has declined an invitation to celebrate Diwali at the White House in protest of the Biden administration's support of Israel's bombardment of Gaza. Kaur stated that she cannot accept an invitation from an institution that supports the collective punishment of a trapped civilian population, particularly when celebrating a holiday that symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness. She called on the South Asian community to hold the Biden administration accountable and emphasized the high cost to human life. The US's role in the violence in Gaza has been widely scrutinized, with calls for a ceasefire being rejected by Israel.