US election 2024: Arab Americans united in grief, divided on strategy
Al Jazeera
Reeling from trauma of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, community members say they face ‘impossible choices’ in upcoming election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Dearborn, Michigan – For more than a year, Layla Elabed says she and other Arab Americans have been at a “collective funeral”.
“We’re grieving. We’re frustrated. We’re angry. We’re heartbroken. We feel betrayed,” Elabed said, finally taking a breath as she reflected on Israel’s raging wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
And now, with bombs still raining down, she added that Arab American voters were being asked to hit pause their sorrow and cast a ballot on Tuesday for presidential candidates who do not have a plan “to stop the killing”.
It is a sentiment that reverberates across the large Arab American community in the battleground state of Michigan, where Elabed has been a leader in the Uncommitted Movement, which has aimed to pressure United States President Joe Biden and his vice president and Democratic contender, Kamala Harris, to end their unwavering support for Israel.
Harris has promised to continue arming Israel while her Republican rival, Donald Trump, has a staunchly pro-Israel record despite his claims of wanting to bring “peace” to the region.
