DEARBORN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, faces a political high-wire act as she attempts to win over Michigan voters without alienating key Arab American demographics. With the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation, Michigan is a battleground state Harris can’t afford to lose, especially the influential pro-Palestinian community in Dearborn, which the Wall Street Journal has dubbed “America’s jihad capital.”

A delicate dance: wooing Arab American voters in Dearborn.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud captured the essence of Harris’s predicament, stating, “There’s an opportunity for the Democratic nominee to coalesce the coalition that ushered in Biden’s presidency four years ago. But that responsibility will now fall on the vice president.”

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The stakes are high for Harris, especially after over 100,000 Michigan Democratic primary voters chose “uncommitted” in February to protest Biden’s unequivocal support for Israel. The uncommitted movement, led by prominent figures like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and her sister Layla Elabed, underscores the depth of frustration among Arab American voters. The national “uncommitted” movement is even bigger with an estimated 700,000 Democratic voters involved.

Osama Siblani, the publisher of Dearborn-based Arab American News says about Harris regaining the support of the Muslim population in the community, “We are in listening mode.”

Arab American leaders demand action and engagement on Gaza for their votes.

Arab American leaders are cautiously optimistic about Harris but are clear about their expectations. “We need her to meet with members of our community. We need her to meet with uncommitted delegates,” Abbas Alawieh, a Michigan delegate and an “uncommitted” movement leader, told The Guardian. “We need to hear from her and her team how she will embrace an approach that prioritizes and values Palestinian lives and the lives of every civilian.” He added, “We want the vice president to engage with us on very serious matter and in the Democratic Party there should be space for us to speak up on this very important issue of Gaza.”

In the same article, Michigan Palestinian American attorney Fadel Nabilsi, who voted uncommitted in February, said Harris “could get my vote, but’s going to be a difficult journey. We actually need to see action,” pointing out that she needs to get on the same page as others in his community.

The Arab American community has signaled that they don’t want an unequivocal supporter of Israel. They have said they want an advocate for peace, a permanent ceasefire and an arms embargo of weapons shipments sent to Israel. That means support could switch to Harris if she strategizes correctly. “If Harris called for an arms embargo, I would work around the clock every day until the election to get her elected,” said Alawieh.

Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic strategist and an adviser to the Uncommitted National Movement, told the Guardian, “The White House’s policy to continue to supply American bombs to Netanyahu is like a bartender serving drinks to an alcoholic while repeatedly urging them to stay sober. Empathy for Palestinians from the vice-president is a step in the right direction but people just want a policy change to stop the supply of American bombs to Israel’s war.”

Caught between a rock and a hard place: Harris’s tightrope walk on Israel.

The challenge for Harris is to advocate for a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without appearing to undermine Biden’s pro-Israel stance. Her absence at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech to Congress, instead attending a campaign event in Indianapolis, was seen by some as a positive gesture toward pro-Palestinian voters.

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However, her meeting with Netanyahu the next day reaffirmed her “unwavering commitment” to Israel and her statement that Israel has a right to exist most likely rattled many in the Arab community. In the end, she did give them a few nuggets of hope by adding to the statement “and how it does so matters.” She has also said, “We cannot look away in the face of those tragedies (in Gaza). We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.”

Harris’ deputy national security adviser Dean Lieberman says about the Harris position, “The vice president has been a strong and longstanding supporter of Israel as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. She will always ensure Israel can defend itself from threats, including from Iran and Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah.”

Is Harris a Zionist?

When asked if Harris considered herself a Zionist, Lieberman dodged the question saying, “ One can criticize specific policies of the government of Israel while still strongly supporting the state of Israel and the people of Israel. And that support for Israel in no way conflicts with the vice president’s strong view that the Palestinian people deserve freedom, dignity, and self-determination.”

This answer appears to represent Harris’ apparent hopes to appear to support both sides of the issue in order to win the election in November. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, describes Harris this way: “Like most Americans, the Vice President falls within the pro-Israel mainstream – somewhere between the ‘Greater Israel’ far right and the “Free Palestine’ far left.”

This tightrope walk that Harris must do, even with her VP pick, is encapsulated by Rima Meroueh, director of the National Network for Arab American Communities, who doesn’t think that Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro should be considered as a serious VP contender for Harris. Meroueh said, “Josh Shapiro was one of the first ones to criticize the students on campus. So it doesn’t differentiate Harris very much if she picks him. That just says I’m going to continue the same policies as Biden.”

Promises and pitfalls: navigating the political minefield.

The political landscape in Dearborn is complex, with deep-rooted dissatisfaction toward both major parties. As Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud pointed out, “I have not heard any individuals saying ‘I’m now rushing to Donald Trump.’ They all know what Donald Trump represents.” Yet, Harris’s ability to bridge the gap remains uncertain, as highlighted by the tense Democratic Party Zoom call on July 23rd where Alawieh was berated for suggesting Harris needs to earn the uncommitted vote.

According to the Detroit News, delegates Abbas Alawieh (Dearborn) and Rima Mohammed (Ann Arbor), in their attempt to discuss the situation in Gaza, were shouted down and Alawieh was called an “*a**hole.” He told the News “It was an incredibly hurtful experience…It was mortifying in front of every elected official who was on the call.”

That division could be a sign of things to come for the upcoming Democratic National Committee’s convention in Chicago in August where pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to be plentiful.

New group springs up for Harris to be concerned about.

As if the “uncommitted” voters weren’t enough of a challenge, a new campaign called “No Ceasefire No Vote” has emerged, started by Reem Abuelhah, a Pennsylvania activist. They are collecting pledges from voters who refuse to vote for Harris unless she breaks more sharply from Biden’s policies on Gaza including calling for a ceasefire.

However, others have a different strategy. Palestinian American activist Lexis Zeidan with the uncommitted movement from Dearborn says, “Instead of trying to stop support for Harris, our strategy is going to focus on holding her accountable to values and demands of the majority of the Democratic party base and electorate, which includes a lasting and permanent ceasefire via an arms embargo on Israel.”

Progressive Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid, an adviser to the Uncommitted National Movement, describes support for Harris could go two ways – the 700,000 uncommitted voters could actively mobilize for her if they thought she was shifting away from Biden’s Gaza policies – or, he said, “If she doesn’t shift on Gaza, I think people will be much more reserved about their enthusiasm, in terms of knocking on doors, donating, telling their friends and family and their community to vote for Harris, even if they don’t like Trump.”

Harris’s Michigan tightrope: balancing concerns from Pro-Palestinian supporters with concerns from Israel supporters.

With polling tight in Michigan, Harris’s political future in Michigan hinges on her ability to navigate this delicate balance. With the Arab American vote holding significant electoral weight, her challenge is to show genuine support for Palestinian rights while maintaining the broader Democratic Party’s pro- Israel stance. And if the uncommitted movement gains even more momentum and depending on the state of the war between Hamas and Israel, Harris must decide how far she’s willing to pivot without losing critical support in a state that could determine the next president.