Since the outbreak of the Israel-Palestine conflict in October of last year, the tensions in the Middle East have continued to escalate, impacting the upcoming presidential election in the United States set to take place in November. A pro-Palestinian voter group in the U.S. released a statement on Thursday (September 19) declaring that they will not support Harris in the 2024 election and oppose Trump’s bid for a second term.
Michigan is one of the largest Arab-American electoral districts in the U.S. The local pro-Palestinian group, Uncommitted National Movement, has 100,000 registered voters. During this year’s primary elections, they encouraged voters to cast their ballots against the incumbent President Biden’s reelection and refused to support Trump for another term. They are now further urging voters not to support Harris in her bid for the White House.
The group stated in their declaration that they cannot endorse Harris because the Vice President “is not willing to change her unconditional arms policy and has not made clear statements in support of American and international human rights laws.”
The statement also added, “We also oppose Donald Trump’s presidency, as we believe his agenda will escalate violence in the Gaza region and further suppress anti-war organizations.” Additionally, they called on supporters not to vote for third-party candidates, as it may potentially split the votes and inadvertently increase Trump’s chances of winning.
As of Thursday night, Harris has not responded to the group’s requests, including whether she would meet with American victims’ families in the Israel-Palestine conflict and discuss plans to stop the U.S. from delivering weapons to Israel.
The group had also requested to have a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August, but this request was not fulfilled. The statement mentioned, “For months, we have been urging the Vice President to change her Gaza policy in order to mobilize voters in crucial states to support her, to save lives and our democracy. However, the DNC and the Vice President’s campaign team have failed to make any small moves to unite our party and have rejected a simple request to invite a Palestinian American speaker before November.”
Michigan holds 16 electoral votes, which are crucial for both the Democratic and Republican parties to win the presidential election.
Over the past few decades, Michigan has generally been considered a part of the Democratic northern “blue wall,” but Trump won the state in 2016 by a slim margin of about 10,000 votes, while Biden reclaimed Michigan in 2020 with over a 2% lead.
However, there have been fractures between these supporters and the Democratic Party in February.
In the Michigan presidential primary, over 100,000 people cast “uncommitted” votes. This opposition movement quickly spread to other states during the presidential primary cycle.
Although Harris recently expressed sympathy for the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza region, she still stands by Biden’s foreign policy, emphasizing support for Israel’s “right to self-defense” and advocating for hostages and ceasefire agreements.
During an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on September 17, she said, “We are working to press all parties to engage in a peaceful resolution… I support the dignity, self-determination, and security needs of the Palestinian people, and hope that with our progress, a two-state solution can be achieved.”