Michigan’s Arab American voters say Harris will have to win them back

In key US swing-state Michigan, Democratic voters of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage say Kamala Harris is going to have to win them back, after they were alienated by President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

“We are in listening mode right now,” says Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News. But others, like business lawyer Soujoud Hamade, remain skeptical.

Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention on, Harris pledged to get a Gaza cease-fire “done” and ensure Palestinians “realize their right to “dignity, security, freedom and self- determination.”

But there was outrage among Palestinian delegates that their request for a speaker spot at the convention was rejected. The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said the decision sent a “terrible message” and announced it was disbanding and withdrawing its support from the campaign.

“We are in the listening mode right now. We want to see what kind of Kamala Harris will be out of the shadow of Joe Biden and his administration,” Siblani said. “So far we have seen some positive signs, some cracks in the doors that opening (sic) but not all wide open. We need to keep the conversation going.”

Soujoud Hamade, attorney and founding partner at HNH Law Group, said, “If Kamala wants my vote, I want her to take a hard stance against these forever wars. I want her to take a hard stance against giving Israel any more money, especially for military purposes.

“I want her to take a strong stance in supporting the Palestinian plight and in supporting their right to exist,” said Hamade. “We don’t want any more performative statements, and we don’t want anyone to come and fool us and give us a bunch of false hope to get our votes. We want long-lasting, permanent change.”