What Muslim voters hold against Kamala Harris and will they support her?

(Patria) - Arab-American and Muslim voters, dissatisfied with U.S. support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza, are turning their backs on Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and announcing support for third-party candidate Jill Stein.

This shift in support could affect Kamala Harris's chances in key states crucial for the November 5 election, reports Reuters, as carried by N1.

Data released this month by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), based on a late August poll, reveals a significant shift in voter support.

In Michigan, home to a sizable Arab-American community, 40% of Muslim voters support Jill Stein of the Green Party.

Republican candidate Donald Trump received 18% of the vote, while Harris, the vice president under President Joe Biden, lagged behind with just 12%.

Stein also leads Harris among Muslim voters in Arizona and Wisconsin, two key states where Biden narrowly defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

In Georgia and Pennsylvania, Harris was previously the favorite among Muslims, while Trump outperformed Harris in Nevada with 27% to 26%, according to the CAIR poll, which surveyed 1,155 Muslim voters nationwide.


Jill Stein

All these states are crucial for victory, and candidates had narrow margins in previous elections.

While Biden won Muslim votes in 2020 with over 80% support according to some exit polls, Democratic support has plummeted due to nearly a year of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, about 3.5 million Americans reported having Middle Eastern ancestry, representing about 1% of the total U.S. population.

Their votes could prove decisive in a tight race, as polls show a close final contest.

On Tuesday, Harris called for an end to the war between Israel and Gaza, the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and opposed the reoccupation of Palestinian territories, supporting a two-state solution.

However, during closed-door meetings in Michigan and elsewhere, her campaign officials reportedly rejected calls to halt or limit U.S. arms shipments to Israel, according to leaders of the Arab-American community.

Faye Nemer, founder of the American Chamber of Commerce for the Middle East Region in Michigan, criticized the lack of tangible benefits from decades of community organizing and civic engagement.

- We are an integral part of this country, but our issues are not taken into account - says Nemer.

Stein is actively campaigning on the Gaza issue, advocating for a permanent ceasefire and an immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel.

Her advocacy for divestment from the defense industry and her stance on Gaza have boosted her popularity in pro-Palestinian circles.

Her running mate, Butch Ware, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is also Muslim.

Stein spoke this month at an Arab conference in Dearborn, Michigan, an annual gathering of Arab Americans, and was featured on the front page of The Arab American News under the headline "Election 2024."


Front page of The Arab American News

Last week, in an interview on The Breakfast Club, a radio program in New York, she stated: "Every vote for our campaign is a vote against genocide."

- At the same time, Trump's team has organized numerous in-person and virtual events with Arab Americans and Muslims in Michigan and Arizona - said Richard Grenell, former acting director of National Intelligence.

- Arab American leaders in Detroit know this is their moment to send a strong message to the Democratic Party that they should not be taken for granted - Grenell said.

Trump has stated he would secure more peace agreements between Arabs and Israel. His approach and Stein's appeal could translate into numbers that might jeopardize Harris, Reuters warns.

The Greens are on the ballot in most states, including all key swing states that could decide the election, except Georgia and Nevada, where the party is suing the states to be listed on the ballot.