U.S. Muslim leaders who previously backed Republican Donald Trump in response to the Biden administration’s support for Israel‘s actions in Gaza and Lebanon have expressed significant disappointment with his recent cabinet selections, according to Reuters.

“Trump’s victory was partly due to our support, and we are dissatisfied with his choice for Secretary of State and other appointments,” stated Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor and co-founder of Muslims for Trump, who also led the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania.

Strategists believe that Muslim backing was instrumental in Trump’s success in Michigan and may have influenced victories in other key states.

Trump has appointed Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a strong advocate for Israel, as Secretary of State. Earlier this year, Rubio indicated he would not advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, asserting that Israel should eliminate “every element” of Hamas, referring to them as “vicious animals.”

Additionally, Trump nominated Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and a fervent pro-Israel conservative who opposes a two-state solution, as the next ambassador to Israel. He also selected Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, who criticized the UN as a “cesspool of antisemitism” for its statements regarding casualties in Gaza, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Rexhinaldo Nazarko, the executive director of the American Muslim Engagement and Empowerment Network (AMEEN), expressed disappointment regarding the cabinet selections made by President Trump, noting that Muslim voters had anticipated appointments that would promote peace, which have not materialized.

“We are very disappointed,” he stated.

Nazarko criticized the administration for being predominantly filled with neoconservatives and individuals who are strongly pro-Israel and pro-war, indicating a failure on President Trump’s part to align with the pro-peace and anti-war movements.

He emphasized that the community would persist in advocating for an end to the conflict in Gaza, stating, “At least we’re on the map.”

Hassan Abdel Salam, a former professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and co-founder of the Abandon Harris campaign that supported Green Party candidate Jill Stein, remarked that while Trump’s staffing choices were not unexpected, they had turned out to be even more extreme than he had anticipated.

“It feels like he’s in overdrive for Zionist interests,” he commented. “We have always been quite skeptical… While we are still observing the direction of the administration, it appears that our community has been sidelined.”

The Trump campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Some Muslim and Arab supporters of Trump expressed hope that Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence, would assume a significant role, given his extensive outreach to Muslim and Arab American communities and his introduction as a potential candidate for secretary of state at various events.

Additionally, Massad Boulos, the Lebanese father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, has held multiple meetings with Arab American and Muslim leaders.

Both Arab American and Muslim voters were assured that Trump would be a candidate for peace, promising to take decisive action to conclude conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Neither individual was available for immediate comment.

Trump visited several cities with significant Arab American and Muslim communities, including a stop in Dearborn, a city with a majority Arab population, where he expressed his admiration for Muslims. In Pittsburgh, he referred to Muslims for Trump as “a beautiful movement,” emphasizing their desire for peace and stability.

Bill Bazzi, the mayor of nearby Dearborn Heights and a Trump supporter, mentioned that he had met the president-elect three times and maintained his belief that Trump would strive to end the war, despite the appointments made to his cabinet. Rola Makki, the Lebanese American and Muslim vice chair for outreach of the Michigan Republican Party, shared a similar sentiment.

“I don’t expect everyone to agree with every appointment Trump makes, but what truly matters is the outcome,” she stated.

“I am confident that Trump seeks peace, and it is important for people to recognize that there have been 50,000 Palestinian deaths and 3,000 Lebanese deaths during the current administration.”