White House Adjusts Entertainment for State Dinner in Light of Ongoing Conflict in the Middle East

The White House has made adjustments to the entertainment portion of Wednesday’s state dinner for Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The original plan was to have the new wave band the B-52s perform, but the First Lady Jill Biden announced Tuesday that this would be inappropriate at a time when “so many are facing sorrow and pain.”

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed Prime Minister Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon to the White House on Tuesday. The two leaders are set to hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office before a joint press conference at 12:30 p.m. ET.

The entertainment for the state dinner will now be provided by a string quartet, in keeping with the more somber mood of the occasion. The war between Israel and Hamas is sure to be a topic of discussion for the two leaders, as they focus on the need for less international and regional reliance on China.

The White House has not yet commented on the change in entertainment, but the decision to scrap the B-52s performance is a sign of respect for those affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Biden administration has been vocal in its support for a ceasefire and an end to the violence.