Dearborn, Michigan – Mohammad Enayah was jarred from sleep in the early hours of the morning by a message from Gaza. The news was devastating – 37 members of his extended family had fallen victim to an Israeli air strike on a Palestinian refugee camp.
The toll on Mohammad’s family was staggering – 89 members killed in total. As a result, the pain and grief of Arab Americans in southeastern Michigan is deep, especially in light of the broader war between Israel and Hamas. This war has led many members of the Arab American community to vow to ensure that President Joe Biden does not secure a second term in office, due to his unyielding support for Israel since the conflict began.
This conflict has sparked significant backlash among Arab Americans in Michigan, a crucial swing state that Biden won narrowly in the 2020 election. Despite having previously supported Biden due to feeling like the “lesser of two evils,” many Arab Americans are now actively campaigning against him, even considering voting for third-party candidates such as Jill Stein and Cornel West.
The sentiment is clear – many members of this community feel a sense of betrayal by Biden’s support for Israel, which, in their eyes, has led to a deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza. As a result, they are pushing back against the idea of voting for what they perceive as the “lesser of two evils,” especially given the devastating impact of the war on the people of Gaza.
This sense of betrayal has led to a growing movement to actively campaign against Biden’s reelection, even risking the potential return of Trump to the presidency. Members of the Arab American community are adamant that they will not vote for someone they feel has contributed to the suffering of their families and friends in Gaza. The sentiment is clear – many of them refuse to choose what they consider to be the “lesser of two evils” in the upcoming election. Instead, they are determined to send a strong message and encourage others to do the same.