Biden's Israel-Gaza response raises doubts among Muslim American supporters
Muslim Americans' support for President Biden in Michigan is wavering due to his response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, raising questions about their future support Eman Hammoud, a Palestinian American immigration lawyer, was once a staunch supporter but now has doubts about supporting his campaign in 2024
In 2020, Eman Hammoud was among the many Michigan Muslims who played a role in President Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump. Until recently, this Palestinian American immigration lawyer had no doubts about supporting his campaign in the year 2024.
However, in the past few weeks, she has observed the Biden administration providing unwavering support to Israel amidst their conflict with Hamas, which began after the lethal attack by the Palestinian militant group on October 7. The administration has not set any limits for Israel and has not called for a ceasefire, despite the numerous deaths of civilians in Gaza. Now, she is uncertain about what actions she will take.
"Hammoud expressed to CNN that the individual in question has placed us in a highly challenging predicament. It has reached a point where it is morally strenuous for me to support someone who has adopted the positions that they have recently taken."
While Arab and Muslim Americans constitute a small portion of the population, their impact is significant in key battleground states such as Michigan. The disillusionment and sense of betrayal felt by voters like Hammoud towards the Biden administration could have significant consequences, potentially resulting in the loss of both the state and the re-election for Biden.
Michigan boasts over 200,000 Muslim American voters, of which around 146,000 actively participated in the 2020 election. A study conducted by Emgage, an organization aimed at empowering Muslim Americans politically, determined these figures. Interestingly, Biden claimed victory in Michigan, a state that Donald Trump had only narrowly won by a margin of 155,000 votes in 2016. Nada Al-Hanooti, the executive director of Emgage Action in Michigan, emphasizes the significance of the Muslim vote in securing success for the Biden administration.
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The stakes in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb, are significantly elevated due to its population, with over half being of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
In a series of almost twelve interviews, Democrats from Dearborn, who actively supported and contributed to Biden's political campaign, expressed their inability to consider voting for him at present, even if he were to endorse the community's primary demand: an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
Muslim and Arab American voters acknowledge that in elections, choices often come down to two options. However, they have noticed that the GOP primary candidates have campaigned on policies that they believe would negatively impact the Palestinian territories and the Middle East. For instance, these policies include denying aid to Gaza and reinstating Trump's travel ban on certain Muslim majority countries. At the same time, these voters express fear due to the increasing discrimination against Muslims and the tragic death of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume, which is being investigated as a hate crime. In response, Biden's campaign spokesperson, Ammar Moussa, emphasizes that the President and his administration strongly oppose Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism. Furthermore, Moussa states that it is crucial to recognize the significance of the upcoming election, given that some MAGA Republicans are openly supporting Trump's Islamophobic platform and seeking a renewed Muslim ban.
However, numerous Muslim and Arab American individuals who endorsed Biden express their inability to fathom repeating their support or urging their loved ones to back him once more.
Abbas Alawieh, a Democratic strategist who formerly served in Rep. Rashida Tlaib's congressional office in Dearborn, confidently states, "There is no doubt in my mind that our president is facing challenges in Michigan. The consequences of this situation run as deep as the distress people are enduring, and it cuts to the core."
Muslim American voters in Michigan wield considerable political power locally. In 2018, Tlaib made history by becoming the first Palestinian American elected to Congress. She has emerged as a prominent critic of Israel and the government's handling of the Gaza conflict. Recently, the House voted against a resolution to censure Tlaib for her pro-Palestinian remarks and condemnation of Israel's actions.
Adding to this representation, in 2021, Abdullah Hammoud, a former state Rep., emerged as the first Arab and Muslim American to be elected as the mayor of Dearborn. Hammoud has also expressed dissatisfaction with the response of the Biden administration. When asked about the voting patterns of Muslim and Arab Americans in the upcoming 2024 elections, Hammoud dismissed the question's underlying assumption.
"We're not here to degrade ourselves by accepting the lowest offer just to gain recognition for our humanity," he stated. "The question should be directed towards elected officials and candidates running for office. What actions will you take to influence the outcome of the election?"
For many Arab Americans, it comes as no surprise that Biden strongly supports Israel, considering his past. However, recent events in the past few weeks have shattered Biden's image as the "empathizer-in-chief," a compassionate individual who connects with others through personal tragedies. These tragedies include the loss of his first wife and infant daughter in a car accident, as well as the death of his eldest son, Beau, from brain cancer in 2015.
Adam Abusalah, a Palestinian American who served as a field organizer for Biden in Michigan in 2020, expressed his disappointment, stating, "Given his personal experience of losing children, we assumed that he would understand the situation in the Middle East and empathize with it. However, it is evident that our assumption was incorrect." Now, reflecting on his own relatives in Gaza and the West Bank, he experiences a sense of remorse for the efforts he made to support the Biden campaign.
"This is the man for whom I went door-to-door," he stated. "I deeply regret and feel guilty about my actions during the Biden campaign."
Muslim and Arab Americans who spoke with CNN highlighted a growing list of perceived missteps by the Biden administration since the recent conflict began. The US opposed a UN Security Council draft resolution on October 18 that called for "humanitarian pauses." John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson, affirmed that the US is not establishing definitive boundaries for Israel. Additionally, Biden publicly expressed skepticism regarding the reported number of Palestinian casualties from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is under Hamas control. When asked about Israel's efforts to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza, he later clarified in a private meeting with Muslim American leaders that his comments on the death toll aimed to differentiate between Hamas and Palestinians.
"The tragic loss of Palestinian life deeply saddens President Biden, as he expressed during his recent Oval Office address to the nation," stated White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson. "We will continue engaging in conversations with these crucial communities and will not tolerate any form of hate or discrimination towards them. As the President has emphasized, it is imperative that we strive towards a two-state solution."
To demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity, the White House has actively sought the input of Muslim and Arab Americans, both within and outside the government. In the aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and senior adviser Anita Dunn held a meeting with senior Muslim and Arab American officials from the White House and the administration. The purpose of the meeting was to listen to the concerns of their communities and reaffirm their unwavering support.
This was one of many listening sessions and outreach initiatives organized by senior White House officials, targeting both administration officials and elected officials nationwide. It is part of a wider engagement strategy to demonstrate that the administration is attentive to people's concerns, stated the official.
However, these calls have not always been without challenges. During a Friday morning virtual meeting hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement to discuss the administration's efforts in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, two participants candidly informed Biden administration officials that they had lost support from certain Arab American voters.
In a recent meeting between President Biden and influential Muslim community members in the West Wing last Thursday, Emgage CEO Wael Alzayat expressed concern over the president's recent remarks, highlighting a perceived lack of empathy toward Palestinians.
According to Alzayat, the rhetoric coming from the White House was deemed unhelpful and potentially hazardous. Specifically, Biden's apparent disregard for Palestinian victims and their suffering was not only hurtful but also contributed to a narrative that marginalized their deserving of sympathy and support.
This week, the administration announced its intention to formulate a comprehensive national strategy to combat Islamophobia.
In recent weeks, the administration started advocating for humanitarian pauses. During a UN Security Council meeting last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need for "humanitarian pauses" to enable the delivery of aid to Gaza, a sentiment he reiterated after holding discussions with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv. While attending a fundraiser in Minneapolis on Wednesday night, President Biden was interrupted by a protester urging him to demand a ceasefire. In response, the president expressed his support for a humanitarian pause to facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Sam Baydoun, a Wayne County commissioner in Michigan, emphasized that a "pause" should not be mistaken for a ceasefire. Baydoun, who immigrated from Lebanon to the US at the age of 15, questioned the concept of a "humanitarian pause" and suggested the use of the term "unconditional ceasefire" instead.
Baydoun, along with several other Arab and Muslim local elected officials and activists, expressed their thoughts on Biden's response to the Gaza war at Habibs Cuisine, a popular Lebanese restaurant in Dearborn. He emphasized that their primary concern is the Palestinian civilians who are being killed on a daily basis. However, Baydoun did mention that if the election were held today and President Biden was a candidate, he couldn't guarantee that he would receive five votes from Arab Americans in Dearborn.
Baydoun emphasized that his support extended beyond merely casting a vote for Biden and other Democratic officials. In Dearborn, he and other Muslim Americans enthusiastically invited state and federal politicians into their homes and communities, actively contributing to their campaign funds.
"It is disheartening that they refrain from expressing the desire for a ceasefire," he expressed with frustration. "This omission is deeply hurtful."
Lebanese-American political consultant Hussein Dabajeh expressed his belief that there is no clear choice between Trump and Biden as the "lesser of two evils." According to Dabajeh, the president and his advisers may underestimate the community's memory, but he emphasized the importance of voting to demonstrate their collective influence while refraining from supporting any specific candidate.
Lexi Zeidan, an activist of Palestinian descent residing in the United States, expressed her disappointment and sense of betrayal over Biden's approach towards the Palestine issue.
"The lack of response from our elected representatives has been evident, and I believe they will witness a reciprocal silence from our community during the upcoming elections," she remarked.
Zeidan emphasized that inquiring about Biden's ability to regain her support entails inquiring about whether anything can provide solace for the losses her family members and fellow Palestinians in Gaza have suffered. She firmly expressed, "The value of my people's lives cannot be underestimated."
CNNs Denise Royal contributed to this report.
