In the wake of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Arab and Muslim Americans who distanced themselves from the Democratic Party due to its support for the Gaza conflict are now speaking out against being unfairly blamed for President Donald Trump’s rise. These voters say they are being unfairly scapegoated and wrongly accused of causing the Democrats’ electoral struggles.
The Impact of Gaza on Voter Sentiment
As Trump’s campaign highlighted his aggressive stance on Gaza, including threats to forcibly displace Palestinians and make sweeping cuts to federal programs, many Arab and Muslim Americans found themselves targeted with a barrage of blame from both sides of the political spectrum. Messages ranged from smug remarks to outright hostility, with many expressing their displeasure by saying, “You get what you deserve” and “Why are you crying about this now?”
Jim Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, emphasized the unfairness of these accusations. “The anger is misplaced,” Zogby stated, pointing out that even if every Arab and Muslim American had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, her victory would still have been unlikely due to challenges in key swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
In 2024, Arab and Muslim American voters were divided. Some supported third-party candidates or even cast their vote for Trump, while others chose to abstain from voting altogether. Despite criticism from within their community, some voters, like Zogby, chose to support the Democratic ticket, believing that Trump’s policies would be worse for both domestic issues and the Middle East.
The Disconnect with the Democratic Party
A key issue that drove many Arab and Muslim voters away from the Democratic Party was its stance on the Gaza conflict. For many, President Biden and Vice President Harris’ support for Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza was a dealbreaker. Many voters expressed frustration with how the Democratic leadership handled the situation and felt that the party failed to listen to the concerns of the community.
Aref Assaf, founder of the Arab American Forum in New Jersey, criticized both Trump and the Democrats for failing to acknowledge the root causes of the destruction in Gaza. “No one asked who was behind that. Wasn’t it our weapons and [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s army that destroyed Gaza?” he remarked.
Sadaf Jaffer, a former New Jersey Assemblywoman and a Muslim Democrat, echoed similar concerns, accusing the Democratic Party of not doing enough to address the concerns of voters who felt their voices were ignored. “They could have worked harder to get the Biden-Harris administration to change policy and be in line with what the public wanted,” Jaffer said.
A Complex Relationship with Trump
Despite their disappointment with the Democrats, many Arab and Muslim American voters found themselves in a complicated position when it came to Trump. Some were swayed by his promises to end the wars in the Middle East and his more favorable rhetoric toward Palestinians. However, many were horrified when Trump proposed displacing millions of Palestinians from Gaza to take control of the region for real estate development.
Most, however, were not surprised by Trump’s proposal, as they were aware of his strong connections to Israel’s far-right and his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s past comments about the “valuable” waterfront property in Gaza.
Despite these alarming proposals, the situation in Gaza drove many voters to reject the status quo. They expressed frustration with the lack of effective action on the war, which they felt was being perpetuated by the U.S. government, and many were ultimately unwilling to support a Democratic candidate that they saw as complicit in the ongoing devastation.
Why Many Stayed Home
The issue of Gaza played a significant role in driving away many Democratic voters in 2024. A YouGov poll, conducted in partnership with the Institute for Middle East Understanding, found that nearly a third of Biden’s 2020 supporters who chose not to vote in 2024 cited the Gaza conflict as a key reason for their decision. More than a quarter of these voters said they stayed home due to the war, far surpassing other issues like the economy or immigration.
Isaac Jimenez, an organizer with the North New Jersey Democratic Socialists of America, explained that many young voters felt abandoned by the Democratic Party’s lack of attention to critical issues like the war in Gaza and economic struggles. His group managed to mobilize more than 42,000 “uncommitted” votes in New Jersey during the Democratic primary as a protest against Biden’s policies.
“The bottom really fell out of the Democratic Party when you don’t run on the economy or social issues like Palestine,” Jimenez stated. “Trump was talking and lying about it, and the Democratic Party was not talking at all about those things.”
Looking Ahead: The Need for Change
As the Democratic Party grapples with Trump’s rising influence and his plans to dismantle key aspects of U.S. governance, the finger-pointing at Arab and Muslim voters is drawing strong reactions. Community leaders like Salaheddin Mustafa, a Palestinian American leader in state politics, argue that blaming these voters is a shortsighted approach.
“They are not listening to the needs and desires of whatever coalition that [former President] Barack Obama built,” Mustafa said. He stressed that the Democrats’ failure to address the concerns of marginalized communities, including Arab and Muslim Americans, contributed to their loss of voter support.
Zogby echoed these concerns, warning that the Democrats risk losing even more ground if they continue to ignore the needs of key voting blocs. He recalled a campaign meeting where party pollsters advised against investing resources into groups they assumed would vote for them anyway. This neglect, Zogby believes, ultimately handed votes to Republicans, especially in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
“We’re handing these folks to Republicans on a silver platter,” Zogby said. “The best they had to offer us was Liz Cheney trying to win over suburban Democratic women, and it actually hurt us with working-class voters.”
Conclusion: The Message for the Future
Arab and Muslim American voters are sending a clear message to the Democratic Party: their concerns must be heard and addressed if they are to maintain their support in future elections. As tensions rise over the Gaza conflict, these voters are urging political leaders to reconsider their positions and focus on the issues that matter most to their communities.
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