HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a political move that could shake up the presidential election, Arab Americans in Michigan, once a solid Democratic voting bloc, are making an about-face, turning against VP candidate Kamala Harris. This is due to her support of Israel and her unwillingness to cave into the demands of the “uncommitted” and “Abandon Harris” groups who want a permanent cease fire and for Harris to promise to stop providing arms to Israel.

And in another unexpected twist, the small city of Hamtramck, home to only about 28,000 residents, 60% of which are believed to be Muslim-Americans, and have an all-Muslim city council, has now become the backdrop for a significant political shake-up with the opening of a new Trump campaign office in the southwestern Michigan city that is only about 15 minutes away from Detroit. The office, according to a Detroit News report, is being run by the Oakland County GOP.

Peace in the Middle East? Trump says, “trust me.”

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The opening of a Trump campaign office in Hamtramck just weeks before the election speaks volumes. According to the Guardian, GOP House of Representatives candidate Barry Altman didn’t mince words, saying, “Peace in the Middle East will not happen under a Harris administration – she’s too weak. Trump is the only hope for peace.”

The fact that a recent poll by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has Trump getting more support from Arab-Americans in Michigan than Harris (18% vs.12%), shows that the Vice President’s support for Israel is even harder for some to swallow than how they feel about former President Donald J. Trump.

Hamtramck’s Democratic mayor backs Trump.

Amer Ghalib, the Democratic mayor of Hamtramck, has thrown his support behind Trump after a cozy 20-minute chat at a Flint rally. This was a stinging departure from the traditional Arab American allegiance to the Democratic Party, leaving Harris scrambling to gain traction in Michigan – a crucial swing state in this year’s presidential election.

In his endorsement of Trump posted on Facebook, Ghalib said, “President Trump and I may not agree on everything, but I know he is a man of principles. Though it is looking good, he may or may not win the election and be the 47th president of the United States, but I believe he is the right choice for this critical time.”

And although there are reports of Harris finally meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders in Michigan in early October, she clearly has not done enough to gain a majority of their support as Biden did in the last presidential election.

Mixed support.

Wa’el Alzayat, the chief executive of Emgage Action, a Muslim American organization that mobilizes Muslim voters, met with Harris at the October meeting and said, “The big takeaway was that she fully understands the severity of the situation, she absolutely understands the impact this has had on our communities, and the potential impact this could have on voters.”

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Other Arab American groups have chosen not to support either Trump or Harris.

Harris Gaza stance more frustrating to some than Trump’s past travel ban.

Even though Trump’s history includes a 2017 travel ban that kept Muslim-majority countries’ citizens from entering the U.S., frustration over the Biden-Harris administration’s Middle East policies has some Arab Americans saying, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Harris as she continues to straddle both sides of the fence regarding the war in Gaza.

Harris’s campaign said in a statement about the Michigan meeting that she has concern for the “scale of suffering in Gaza” and wants to end the war. She also pointed to her wish to get the hostages released. Additionally, she wants to continue to ensure Israel’s security while at the same time helping the Palestinian people “realize their right to dignity, freedom, self determination.”

What’s the alternative?

For those who don’t want to vote for either Trump or Harris, this year’s presidential ballot is giving anti-Israel voters another option that 40% of them are considering: Green Party candidate Jill Stein who Arab Americans are looking to as a protest vote.

With growing support for Stein and a push for Arab American voters to choose Trump over Harris, the dynamics in Michigan’s traditionally Democratic Hamtramck could shift the swing state toward a Republican victory. The mayor’s endorsement of Trump and his active campaigning might help tip the scales, as ongoing Middle East conflicts make Arab-American voters a potentially decisive force in the 2024 election. Whether Harris can make a final push to win them back remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: it won’t be an easy task.