ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 28 Feb 2024 2:59 pm - Jerusalem Time

Arab voters send a message of rejection to Biden for his support of Israel’s war on Gaza

The "non-committed" voters in the primary elections held on Tuesday, February 27, in the state of Michigan, sent a strong and stark message to US President Joe Biden regarding his policies in full support of the war of annihilation waged by Israel against Gaza.

The "Uncommitted" coalition formed a group of Arab, Palestinian and Muslim voters who support the Palestinian cause and oppose the genocidal war waged by Israel on Gaza (which President Biden supports), to highlight the dissatisfaction of this important base of the Democratic Party with the actions of the American President, and the possibility of boycotting him and disrupting his fortunes. To return to the White House next year if he continues to disdain the blood of the Palestinians.


The state of Michigan was the focus of internal Democratic anger due to President Biden's condoning of Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians, and his failure to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza, which alienated the largest number of Arab and Muslim voters in the state.


The Michigan Democratic presidential primary's "disengagement" campaign protesting Joe Biden's Israel policy received at least 25,000 votes (15%), sending an unignorable message about widespread discontent in much of the Democratic base.


Thus, the stated goal of 10,000 votes has been exceeded, and organizers indicated that “Uncommitted” is expected to win at least one delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next August.


The Michigan Democratic Party allocates delegates on a proportional basis to the votes in each congressional district, and organizers expect that they will receive more than 15 percent in at least one US congressional district in the state.


Laila Al-Abd, Michigan campaign manager (and sister of Representative Rashida Tlaib), said in a press statement after the results were announced that this likely means that “Michigan will send at least one delegate to Chicago to announce that they are not committed to the Democratic nominee as long as he funds Israel’s war in Gaza.” .


She added: "Today's results represent a historic turning point for the creation of a democratic party that aligns with the majority of its voters who want a ceasefire, an end to unrestricted arms funding for the war, and an end to the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people."


Leaders of the state's Arab and Muslim community have long expressed their frustration that the Democratic Party establishment, and President Biden in particular, have failed to understand the extent of the gap between the party establishment and Arab and Muslim voters since the president won the 2020 elections.


These measures include Israel's admission into the US Visa Waiver Program despite the failure to guarantee reciprocity for Palestinian Americans at entry and exit points to and from the West Bank and Gaza via Israeli airports.


Since last October 7, Arab and Muslim voters have felt that the Biden administration has abandoned them and no longer cares about their opinions, which prompted many of them to make decisions not to vote for President Joe Biden, even though most of them belong to the Democratic Party, the president’s party.


It is noteworthy that the state of Michigan is one of the so-called swing states after former President Donald Trump won it in 2016 by a margin of 10,000 votes, and there are about 300,000 people of Middle Eastern origins, along with a large number of “progressive Democrats” and their minority allies. Especially African Americans.


Officials from the Biden administration recently went to Michigan to meet with leaders of the Arab and Muslim community in order to bridge the gap between these voters and President Payne. “While we have noticed a slight shift in President Biden’s language as a direct result of the pressures of this campaign, we know that his words are not enough,” Laila Al-Abd said. “This is not a messaging problem, this is a bomb financing problem, and a bomb problem.”


She added: “We do not want a Trump presidency, but Biden has put Netanyahu before American democracy... We cannot afford to pay the bill for belittling the lives of Palestinians.”

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Arab voters send a message of rejection to Biden for his support of Israel’s war on Gaza

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