In 2020, Eman Hammoud was one of thousands of Michigan Muslims who played a key role in helping President Joe Biden secure victory over Donald Trump. Last month, the Palestinian American immigration lawyer was confident she would continue to support Biden if he ran for re-election in 2024. However, Hammoud’s faith in the Biden administration has been shaken by their unwavering support for Israel following the deadly attack by Hamas on October 7. With no red lines for Israel and no calls for a ceasefire despite the significant number of civilian casualties in Gaza, Hammoud now finds herself unsure of how she will vote in the future.
Arab and Muslim Americans may make up a small percentage of the population, but they hold significant influence in battleground states like Michigan. Biden’s loss of support from voters like Hammoud, who feel betrayed by his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, could have consequences for his chances of winning both Michigan and the next election. According to Emgage, an organization dedicated to empowering Muslim Americans politically, Michigan has over 200,000 Muslim American voters, with 146,000 of them voting in the 2020 election. Biden won the state, which narrowly went to Trump in 2016, by a margin of 155,000 votes.
Nada Al-Hanooti, the Michigan executive director of Emgage Action, emphasized the significance of the Muslim vote for Biden, stating, “That just proves that the Biden administration needs the Muslim vote to win.”
The stakes are particularly high in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb where more than half of the population is of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Several Democrats in the area who supported and campaigned for Biden now find themselves unable to support him, even if he were to endorse their primary request for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
While Muslim and Arab American voters recognize that the Republican field has campaigned on policies they believe would be detrimental to the Palestinian territories and the Middle East, such as denying aid to Gaza and reinstating Trump’s travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries, many still express fear. Rising Islamophobia and recent hate crimes, like the stabbing death of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume, contribute to their apprehension.
Biden’s campaign spokesperson, Ammar Moussa, stated that the President and his administration vehemently oppose Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism. Moussa added that as MAGA Republicans continue to promote Islamophobia, next year’s election is of utmost importance.
However, despite these assurances, many Muslim and Arab Americans who supported Biden in the past now find it difficult to envision themselves voting for him again or convincing their friends and family to do so. Abbas Alawieh, a Democratic strategist and former employee in the office of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, believes that the political ramifications of Biden’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run deep and may pose a significant challenge for him in Michigan.
The political power of Muslim American voters in Michigan is evident at the local level. In 2018, Tlaib became the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress and is now one of the most vocal critics of Israel and the administration’s response to the conflict in Gaza. Despite attempts to censure Tlaib for her outspoken support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israel’s actions, she continues to hold her ground.
In 2021, former state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud made history by becoming the first Arab and Muslim American elected as the mayor of Dearborn. Like Tlaib, Hammoud has been critical of Biden’s response to the conflict, rejecting the idea of Muslim and Arab Americans being swayed solely by political gestures. Hammoud believes that the question of how these communities will vote should be directed at elected officials and candidates themselves, emphasizing the need for concrete actions that will influence election outcomes.
Biden’s staunch support for Israel comes as no surprise to many Arab Americans given his history. However, in recent weeks, his actions have undermined his image as the “empathizer-in-chief” who can relate to the suffering of others due to personal tragedies in his own life. Palestinian American Adam Abusalah, who worked as a field organizer for Biden in Michigan in 2020, now feels guilt and regret for the work he did to aid the Biden campaign.
Muslim and Arab Americans who spoke to CNN highlighted a growing list of missteps they perceive by the Biden administration throughout the conflict. They point out that the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian pauses, the White House has not set any red lines for Israel, and Biden has questioned the accuracy of the number of Palestinian casualties reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.
The White House, in an effort to address concerns, held meetings and outreach sessions with Muslim and Arab American officials and leaders to understand their perspectives and reinforce support. However, some attendees expressed their dissatisfaction with the administration’s response and voiced concerns about the lack of empathy toward Palestinians. In response, the administration announced plans to develop a national strategy to combat Islamophobia.
While the situation remains complex, Biden’s support among Muslim and Arab Americans in Michigan is at risk. The potential loss of these crucial votes could significantly impact the outcome of future elections in the state and may require a shift in stance from the Biden administration to regain their support.
