Did Israel determine the US presidential election?

Part 3: The Arab Vote in Michigan

By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS

Harris has faced scrutiny for her position on Israel and Gaza, a stance she has maintained since the onset of the conflict. The Biden administration has persisted in its military support for Israel even in the face of pro-Palestine demonstrations. Harris has previously engaged with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing her steadfast support for Israel and her “unwavering commitment to Israel” while remaining vocal about the humanitarian concerns in Gaza. During her speech, former President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account, “SHE HATES ISRAEL — Wouldn’t even show up to Congress for Netanyahu’s session!” Harris faced interruptions from protesters expressing their frustration over the Biden administration’s steadfast backing of Israel. She has consistently expressed compassion for those enduring pain and loss in the Middle East. Numerous Arab Americans voice their dissatisfaction with Harris for failing to present a policy that sets itself apart from Biden’s predominantly unconditional military backing of Israel.[1]

Trump has sought to exploit Harris’s vulnerabilities within the community in Michigan, making a stop in Dearborn — a city with a majority Arab American population — as part of his ongoing strategy to undermine Democratic backing. Despite providing inconsistent remarks regarding his approach to Israel’s conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza during his presidential campaign, Trump has communicated to Arab and Muslim leaders his intention to advocate for peace, though he has not detailed the methods he would employ. Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab American and Muslim communities in the nation, boasting approximately 300,000 individuals with roots in the Middle East or North Africa. According to a recent poll by Arab News and YouGov, 45 percent of Arab American voters nationwide support Trump, while 43 percent favor Harris, within the survey’s margin of error.[2]

The ongoing rifts within the Democratic Party regarding the conflict in Gaza loomed large as the fiercely fought presidential election approached its conclusion. Democrats anticipated that Harris’s compassionate language regarding Palestinian suffering would galvanize support from Arab Americans and Muslims, especially in the pivotal swing state of Michigan. Nevertheless, the deteriorating circumstances in the Middle East, coupled with Trump’s gestures towards the Arab American and Muslim communities, added layers of complexity to that endeavor. Looking at the makeup of Michigan’s Arab population, it is clear that their numbers were more significant to Harris’s campaign than the Jewish vote. With over 100,000 Arab Americans, the Detroit region boasts the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation, raising concerns among Democrats that Harris may face significant political repercussions due to U.S. backing of Israel. Many Arab Americans believe that Israel’s military actions in Gaza amount to genocide. However, Harris’ campaign chose to focus on Michigan’s Arab population, which is significantly smaller than Pennsylvania’s Jewish one.

There are over 3.7 million Arab Americans. Arab Americans are present across all 50 states, with a significant 95% living in metropolitan regions. The leading six cities are New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. Seventy-five percent reside in twelve states. The majority are native-born, with 85% holding citizenship. Heritage extends to Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. Michigan boasts the largest population and proportion of Arab Americans, with over 200,000 individuals. New Jersey and Massachusetts are not far behind, while New York and Virginia lead in the population of Arab Americans. Wyoming records the lowest number of Arab Americans, and despite their low percentages, Alaska and Montana are home to thousands of Arab Americans residing within their borders. [3]

During the final weeks of the campaign, pro-Palestine protesters disrupted several of Harris’s campaign events, voicing their outrage over the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel. A significant number of Arab Americans voice their dissatisfaction with Harris for failing to present a policy that clearly differentiates from Biden’s predominantly unconditional military backing of Israel. Harris has concentrated on emphasizing her demands for a cease-fire, highlighting the significant loss of Palestinian lives while also affirming Israel’s right to self-defense. In response, she has paused her speeches to address the demonstrators, asserting her commitment to work “full time” as president to achieve a cease-fire and facilitate the release of hostages. She also articulated her compassion for those enduring suffering and loss in the Middle East. The developments underscore the persistent rifts within the Democratic Party regarding the Gaza conflict, which loom large over a fiercely fought presidential election as it approaches its conclusion. Democrats anticipated that Harris’s empathetic approach to the plight of Palestinians would galvanize support from Arab Americans and Muslims, especially in the pivotal swing state of Michigan. [4]

Nonetheless, the appeals from Harris’s leading surrogates have not consistently resonated with Arab American voters. During a rally in Michigan for Harris, former President Clinton spoke to Arab Americans who are frustrated with Democrats over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, attempting to clarify Israel’s actions. Clinton expressed his desire to address what he termed “the hardest issue here in Michigan… the Middle East.” However, Clinton is part of the older guard of Democrats that is more pro-Israel. The former president condemned the Hamas attacks on Israeli collective communities, asserting that those Israelis who were most in favor of a Palestinian state were also residents of the kibbutzim.

This ignited a strong backlash from Arab Americans and Muslims who believed Clinton defended a significant loss of life. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn expressed his disapproval of Clinton’s remarks and cautioned Democrats about the implications of bringing former presidents into his community. He expressed discontent with the Biden administration’s consistent backing of Israel. Earlier in the week, former president Barack Obama posed a question to Muslim Americans regarding their support for Republican nominee Donald Trump, despite his repeated derogatory remarks about their community. Trump also sought to exploit Harris’s vulnerabilities within the community in Michigan, making a stop in Dearborn — a city with a majority Arab American population — on Friday as part of his ongoing strategy to undermine Democratic backing. [5]

Arab community members, who typically support Democrats, face a challenging dilemma: either they hold Harris accountable for her role in the deaths of at least 43,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry, or they accept the prospect of Donald Trump’s resurgence in the White House, a scenario that raises concerns about renewed discrimination against their community. The community remained skeptical about Harris’ position, particularly given her lack of specific proposals regarding U.S. policy on Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Four years prior, Joe Biden secured a decisive victory in Dearborn, achieving a 3-to-1 margin in a city where nearly half of the 110,000 residents identify as Arab descent. Currently, there is growing apprehension among Democrats that a segment of these voters may shift their support toward Trump or consider third-party options such as Jill Stein. Arab American community leaders even faced a backlash in supporting Harris with accusations among the hardliners that they are supporting atrocities in Gaza and harassment with accusations that they are traitors, straining longstanding relationships within the community.

During a recent speech in Oakland County, just outside of Detroit, Harris mentioned Israel’s struggle against Hamas and Hezbollah. She stated that the demise of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could signify a pivotal moment. Harris has refrained from advocating for a decrease in the supply of U.S. weapons to Israel, and her campaign excluded a pro-Palestinian speaker from the platform at August’s Democratic National Convention, which was a significant request from the “uncommitted” movement. Metro Detroit’s progressive Arab American leaders felt that Harris has not done enough to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict. He asserted that the community should back Harris, even if it means facing challenges.

Republicans invested in attempts to portray her as lacking in support for Israel and antisemitism. Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, proudly highlighted his unprecedented $15 million campaign spending aimed at influencing the Jewish electorate. The survey revealed that the past year has been a challenging time for American Jews, who have unequivocally voiced their support for Harris while expressing strong disapproval of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. [6]

[1]https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/23/trump-reacts-harris-dnc/

[2] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4946492-trump-harris-arab-american-voters/

[3] https://www.aaiusa.org/demographics; https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/arab-population-by-state

[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/01/kamala-harris-gaza-clinton-obama-arab-americans/

[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/01/kamala-harris-gaza-clinton-obama-arab-americans/

[6] https://www.jpost.com/us-elections/article-828097

Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS, is a historian, librarian, journalist, and artist. She is pursuing an MA in Jewish Education at the Melton Centre of Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is the author of the recently released “On This Day in History…: Significant Events in the American Year,” and “A Constant Battle: McGill University’s Complicated History of Antisemitism and Now anti-Zionism.” She has a BA in History and Art History and a Masters in Library and Information Studies from McGill University. She has done graduate work in Jewish history at Concordia University as part of the MA in Judaic Studies, where she focused on Medieval and Modern Judaism. Her research area is North American Jewish history, and her thesis was entitled “Unconditional Loyalty to the Cause: Southern Whiteness, Jewish Women, and Antisemitism, 1860–1913.” Ms. Goodman has been researching and writing about antisemitism in North American Jewish History, and she has reported on the current antisemitic climate and anti-Zionism on campus for over fifteen years.

She is also the author of among others, “Silver Boom! The Rise and Decline of Leadville, Colorado as the United States Silver Capital, 1860–1896” (2008), “On This Day in the History… Of American Independence Significant Events in the Revolutionary Era, 1754–1812” (2020), and “We Used to be Friends? The Long Complicated History of Jews, Blacks, and Antisemitism” (2020). She contributed the overviews and chronologies to the “History of American Presidential Elections, 1789–2008,” edited by Gil Troy, Arthur M. Schlesinger, and Fred L. Israel (2012). She is the former Features Editor at the History News Network and reporter at Examiner.com, where she covered politics, universities, religion, and news. She currently blogs at Medium, where she was a top writer in history, and regularly writes an “On This Day in History (#OTD in #History)” Feature. Her scholarly articles can be found on Academia.edu.