Tlaib Withholds Endorsement of Harris as Gaza Genocide Becomes Key Issue for Arab American Voters in Michigan

Michigan (Quds News Network)- At a Detroit union rally, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib withheld her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, a decision that reflects growing discontent among Arab American voters over the Biden administration’s stance on the Gaza genocide.

Representing Michigan’s 12th district and the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, Tlaib’s refusal to back Harris stands out, as the rest of her progressive “Squad” – Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – had endorsed Harris back in July.

Addressing United Auto Workers (UAW) supporters, Tlaib urged rallygoers to use their power at the polls. “Don’t underestimate the power you all have,” she said. “More than those ads, those lawn signs, those billboards, you all have more power to turn out people that understand we’ve got to fight back against corporate greed in our country.”

Her stance comes amid a surge of support among anti-genocide American voters for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, with a recent survey indicating that 43% of Muslim voters are leaning towards Stein. This marks a shift that has stirred concerns within the Democratic Party, echoing the 2016 election when third-party votes were seen as contributing to Democratic losses in Michigan and Wisconsin.

The issue has intensified following the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, prompting 100,000 Michigan voters to register “uncommitted” during primary elections this year as a form of protest.

Tlaib’s criticism of the Democratic Party’s response to the Gaza genocide has been vocal. After the party convention in Chicago in August, where no Palestinian American speaker was featured, she expressed feeling “invisible.” In an interview with Zeteo, a news organization founded by journalist Mehdi Hasan, Tlaib noted the omission “made it clear with their speakers that they value Israeli children more than Palestinian children.” She continued, “Our trauma and pain feel unseen and ignored by both parties…Where is the shared humanity?”

Amid ongoing protests, Vice President Harris has defended what she calls Israel’s ‘right to self-defense’ while claiming to acknowledge the need for “dignity, security” for Palestinians. In response to a protester in Wisconsin calling Israel’s actions genocide, Harris remarked, “I know what you’re speaking of. I want a ceasefire. I want the hostage deal done. I want the war to end.” Harris, however, has been directly complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza through the unlimited support by the Biden administration to Israel.

Earlier on Friday, at a rally in Dearborn, Tlaib also called out Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has received endorsements from Muslim mayors in Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck.

On X (formerly Twitter), Tlaib denounced Trump as a “proud Islamophobe” and criticized the Biden administration, adding, “The Biden admin’s unconditional support for genocide is what got us here. This should be a wake-up call for those who continue to support genocide.”

As election season intensifies, Tlaib’s stance could influence Michigan’s significant Arab American population, who have increasingly expressed frustration with both major parties’ handling of the situation in Palestine.