Michigan Arab and Muslim Americans launch ‘uncommitted’ campaign in response to Biden’s handling of Israel-Gaza conflict
In response to President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan have launched a campaign called “Listen to Michigan.” The campaign aims to send a strong message to Biden and the Democratic Party to address their concerns about the conflict. Layla Elabed, a Palestinian American activist and the campaign manager, expressed her disappointment in Biden’s response and stated that he would need to curtail US military aid to Israel and call for a permanent ceasefire before she could consider supporting him in November.
The Listen to Michigan campaign, launched less than three weeks ago, has gained support from progressive groups such as Our Revolution and numerous state and local leaders. Volunteers have reached out to over 100,000 voters in the state. The goal is to have at least 10,000 people vote “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary, symbolizing the margin that delivered the state to Donald Trump in 2016. This would serve as a clear sign that Biden’s handling of the conflict could cost him critical votes in November.
Arab and Muslim Americans make up a substantial voting bloc in Michigan, a key battleground state. In the 2020 general election, nearly 146,000 Muslim Americans voted in Michigan, and Biden won the state by a margin of 150,000 votes. Therefore, their dissatisfaction with Biden’s response to the conflict could have significant consequences for his re-election bid.
The Listen to Michigan campaign has received pushback from the Biden administration, which emphasizes the president’s domestic accomplishments and portrays the general election as a choice between Biden and Trump. Lavora Barnes, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, believes that once voters are reminded of what’s at stake, they will ultimately back Biden in November.
Nevertheless, critics argue that it is not their responsibility to fall in line and that Biden needs to be more receptive to their concerns. Abbas Alawieh, a Democratic strategist and spokesperson for the Listen to Michigan campaign, states that their movement is telling Biden’s team that they are losing Michigan by aligning their policies with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s. Former congressman Andy Levin, who plans to vote for Biden in the general election, supports the “uncommitted” effort to let the president know about the dissatisfaction with his stance on Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza has deeply affected Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan, who feel a sense of grief over the rising death toll and guilt over their tax dollars fueling US military aid to Israel. At a recent Listen to Michigan event, attendees grew emotional as they listened to May Seikaly, a professor emerita of Arabic, share her experience of being forced to flee her home during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. The organizers of the campaign hope that by voting uncommitted, they can pressure the Biden administration to change its policies and prevent a loss for the president in November.
However, some voters who are voting uncommitted in the primary do not see a path for Biden to win back their vote in the general election. Sylvie Yaacoub, a nurse from Westland, regrets her vote for Biden in 2020 and hopes to see him lose Michigan in November. She believes that calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire is necessary to rectify the situation.
While there is division among those voting uncommitted about their support for Biden in November, the Listen to Michigan campaign’s immediate focus is on Tuesday’s primary. They urge everyone, regardless of their stance on November’s election, to come out and vote to send a message to Biden. The campaign seeks to emphasize the importance of civic participation while highlighting the concerns of Arab and Muslim Americans regarding Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
