Arab-American Protest Vote Takes Center Stage in Michigan Primary

The protest vote against President Joe Biden, known as “uncommitted” and supported by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, will impact Tuesday’s primary in Michigan.

Michigan has the highest percentage of Arab-Americans in the U.S., with Dearborn, Michigan, being majority Arab-American. This voting bloc is crucial in a key battleground state for the 2024 presidential election, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Pro-Palestinian activists in Michigan are seeking to decrease Democratic votes in protest of Biden’s support for Israel during its conflict with Hamas following the October 7 terrorist attacks.

“This is part of ongoing efforts to silence the community,” said American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee National Executive Director Abed Ayoub. “Our voice will be heard through this vote. They cannot silence us at the polls.”

While this protest is not a vote for former President Donald Trump, activists aim to send a message to Democrats not to take Arab-American voters for granted during the unrest in the Middle East.

The protest is called “uncommitted” because Muslim and Arab-American votes may no longer be reliably Democratic, as some may vote for third-party candidates or choose not to vote at all, according to the Journal.

Grassroots Midwest CEO Adrian Hemond emphasized the importance of paying attention to this movement, as the margins were narrow in Michigan in 2020 and the president cannot afford to lose many votes.

The goal of the protest is to reduce 15% of Biden’s vote through the “uncommitted” movement, which amounts to roughly 10,000 votes, the margin of Biden’s victory in the state in 2020. This impact is expected to be greatest in Dearborn and Michigan’s college campuses, where anti-Semitic protests in support of Hamas are more vocal.

Biden’s administration is urging Israel to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas and work towards a two-state solution. However, some Israeli officials believe this approach would only fulfill Hamas’ terrorist objectives from October 7, as reported by Newsmax.

Despite these efforts, Biden’s operatives are concerned that the Arab-American voter protest in Michigan, a crucial “blue wall” state, may not be deterred.

Wayne County Democrat Jonathan Kinloch is calling on Arab-Americans to vote responsibly for Biden and not to jeopardize the November election.

Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun believes that Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict may cost him votes, potentially impacting the election outcome, given Dearborn’s Arab-American majority population in Wayne County.

“They warn us that not voting for the president will benefit Trump, but ultimately, the candidate is responsible,” said Baydoun to the Journal.