'Gaza Genocide' Sway Arab-American Votes

The ‘Gaza genocide’ has swayed Arab-American votes in US election. It’s a “somber evening” for the community given Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon. Partial election result from the Arab-American majority areas are showing that Trump is having a comfortable lead. Kamala Harris was accused of alienating the Arab-American voters by embracing former Vice President Dick Cheney – who is accused of being a war hawk and his daughter Liz Cheney.

“At least the Biden campaign used to come down here and listen to us. I think we saw the Harris campaign entirely failed as far as engaging with the Arab American community”, said Councilman Mustapha Hammoud, as quoted by media.

Jacklin Zeidan, a resident of Dearborn in the battleground state of Michigan, said that the war in Middle East had an influence on the American people.

“This time I walked in and I was shaking. I was really sad by the decisions I had to make. When we have our people in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and everywhere else literally being slaughtered by carpet bombs and our voices have been shut down everywhere … it was a very hard decision who to vote for”, she told Al Jazeera.

Also Read: “Game, Set And Match”: Elon Musk Takes Trump As Winner Already?

“This genocide, for people to deny what we have been witnessing for more than a year, is beyond insane and beyond shameful. Humanity should always prevail”.

Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, says the community is not celebrating amid Israel’s US-backed war on Gaza and Lebanon.

“It’s a sombre evening. It’s an evening of reflection on the past year, the direction we’re going, the challenges we face, and the challenges we’re going to keep facing,” Ayoub told Al Jazeera at a watch party in Dearborn, Michigan.

Also Read: “Narrow But Clear Favourite”: Trump Leads In Swing States

Whether Trump or Harris wins, Arab Americans’ main objective will remain to work to end the atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, Ayoub added.

Trump has won North Carolina, and Georgia, two of the seven swing states. He is also leading in five others, including Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia. Leads are not yet revealed in Nevada, one of the swing states.

As for electoral college numbers, that will determine the winner in this election, the former President is ahead with 246 votes, while Harris trails with 210. Each candidate is aiming for the magic number of 270 electoral college votes.