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

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden expressed concern Monday over reports that a woman allegedly attempted to drown a Palestinian-American girl at a pool in Texas.

"I am deeply disturbed by the reports of an attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American at a neighborhood pool,” Biden said on X.

"No child should ever be subjected to a violent attack, and my heart goes out to the family.”

His remarks came after a Texas woman was charged with attempted capital murder after allegedly trying to drown the Palestinian Muslim girl in an apartment complex swimming pool.

Reports on Sunday revealed that Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was arrested on May 19 in the Dallas suburb of Euless a day after the incident took place.

Investigators said a disturbance was reported between two women at the apartment pool where Wolf questioned the 32-year-old mother about her country of origin as she was wearing a hijab, or Muslim headscarf.

Police said Wolf attempted to grab the woman's 6-year-old son, who was able to get away, then tried drowning her 3-year-old daughter in the pool.

"The mother began helping her son when Wolf grabbed her 3-year-old daughter and forced her underwater," police told reporters.

"The mother was able to pull back her daughter from the water. Her daughter had been yelling for help and was coughing up water."

Authorities said witnesses told them that Wolf was intoxicated and spewed racist remarks at the mother and her children regarding their nationality.

"We are American citizens originally from Palestine, and I don't know where to go to feel safe with my kids," the mom, identified only as Mrs. H, told news outlets in the aftermath of the incident.

"My country is facing a war, and we are facing that hate here," she continued. "My daughter is traumatized. Whenever I open the apartment door, she runs away and hides, telling me she is afraid the lady will come and immerse her head in the water again."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) alleged that Wolf also snatched the mother’s headscarf off while she tried to save her daughter and beat her with it.

The Austin, Texas chapter of CAIR has called on state and federal authorities to probe the incident as a hate crime.

"We are seeing a new level of bigotry here where a person deeply believes they get to decide, based on religion, spoken language and country of origin whose kids deserve to stay alive and whose don't," said CAIR Austin operations manager Shaimaa Zayan in a statement.

Wolf was charged with several counts, including attempted capital murder, injury to a child and public intoxication.