Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Arab American activists in Michigan, reportedly pledging to do ‘everything’ in her power to end the war against Hamas.
By World Israel News Staff
Vice President Kamala Harris met with Arab American and Muslim activists in Michigan on Friday, in a bid to bolster support from the state’s significant Arab and Muslim communities amid ongoing criticism over the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war against Hamas.
According to a report by CNN, Harris had been scheduled to meet with the activists for 10 minutes Friday, but ended up speaking with them for 20 minutes, Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim voter turnout group Emgage Action said.
“She pledged to work with our community, include our community, and that she completely understands what we’re saying. She is hopeful that if she wins, she’ll be able to deliver on all of this once she’s president.”
Harris was quoted by Yedioth Aharonoth as saying that she remains “interested in ending the war and will do everything in her power to achieve that.”
Activists reportedly urged the vice president to “distance herself from the Biden administration’s pro-Israel policy and increase pressure to end the war in Gaza.”
The Harris campaign is increasingly concerned that Muslim and Arab voters, traditionally strong backers of the Democratic party, could abandon the ticket in this November’s election, in part due to frustration over the war in Gaza.
The Uncommitted National Movement – an alliance of Arab, Muslim, and progressive voters – has threatened to back an alternative candidate in place of Harris, possibly Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Some in the battleground state of Michigan have even suggested backing Trump, arguing that a Trump victory would likely lead to a swift resolution of the Gaza war, rather than its protraction.
Last month, Amer Ghalib, mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, the only Muslim-majority city in America, called on locals to back former President Donald Trump.
“I believe he is the right choice for this critical time,” Ghalib said of Trump, praising him as a “man of principles.”