President Joe Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, faced resistance during her visit to Michigan on Friday, with several Arab-American leaders declining to meet with her. The Arab-American community in the crucial swing state is angered by the administration's policies on Israel, revealing a deepening divide between the White House and groups traditionally loyal to Democratic causes.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a meeting of the Reproductive Health Task Force at the White House on January 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden met with the task force to discuss reproductive health and to mark the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Rodriguez led a group of advisers to the Dearborn area, however, for months, constituents have accused the president of being too supportive of Israel in its war with Hamas.
Assad I. Turfe, a deputy Wayne County executive, told The Associated Press, that a meeting between Rodriguez and Arab-American and Muslim leaders was canceled Friday after pushback within the community. Turfe was tasked with coordinating the meeting and mentioned he reached out to more than ten Arab American and Muslim leaders after being contacted by the Biden campaign on Wednesday. However, the leaders spoke with community members who ultimately made it clear they did not want them to meet Rodriguez, revealed the AP.
"I don't believe that the Biden administration, at the senior top level, understands how big of a problem this is and how upset and angry the community is," Turfe said.
Hundreds gathered Friday for an "Abandon Biden" rally movement at the Islamic Center of Detroit that included prominent civil rights activist Imam Omar Suleiman. The event was scheduled to coincide with Rodriguez' visit to urge otherwise sympathetic voters not to support Biden in November.
Israel's war on Gaza has ignited tensions between many communities around the world but had a heavy effect in the Detroit area, as it's home to several heavily Jewish suburbs and Dearborn, the city with the largest concentration of Arab-Americans in the U.S.
The AP published Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's post on X that sarcastically noted Rodriguez's travel while criticizing Biden for urging congressional leaders to quickly approve a $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
"Little bit of advice - if you're planning on sending campaign officials to convince the Arab American community why they should vote for your candidate, don't do it on the same day you announce selling fighter jets to the tyrants murdering our family members," Hammoud wrote.
Officials from the mayor's office confirmed that he was invited as part of the group of Arab-American leaders but had turned it down. Two Democratic state representatives, Alabas Farhat and Abraham Aiyash, were invited to the meeting but also refused.
"It's unrealistic to expect that political conversations will re-secure our support for the president when only a ceasefire can truly re-open that door," Farhat said. He added that he was in favor of canceling the meeting.
In a statement obtained by the AP, Aiyash, the second-ranking Democrat in the Michigan House, said he contacted Biden officials numerous times to discuss the escalating tensions in Michigan's Arab American community. He has yet to hear from them.
"The conclusion I've drawn from this is they don't really see this as a legitimate problem. And it's disturbing at best and at worst, it's extremely dismissive and disrespectful," wrote Aiyash, who is also the highest-ranking Arab or Muslim leader in the state.
The Huffington Post reported on Jan. 22 that President Joe Biden continues to dismiss reports that Arab and Muslim voters are increasingly vowing not to vote for his reelection, even as those voters vocalize their frustrations with the president and distance themselves from him.
When asked by a reporter last Thursday about the Arab and Muslim groups who have pledged not to vote for him, the president reiterated that he was a better choice than former President Donald Trump.
"Are you concerned with the Arab American votes voting for you during this election because of Gaza? Many say they will not vote for you," asked the reporter.
"The former president wants to put a ban on Arabs coming into the country," said Biden, referencing the travel ban Trump implemented that barred individuals from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. "We understand who cares about the Arab population."
But Muslim and Arab voters told Huffington Post that Biden is underestimating the community's long-standing frustration with the White House. Muslim and Arab support for the president has quickly diminished since Israeli forces began their assault on Palestinians in Gaza with full support from the White House. The U.S. has contributed around $130 billion to Israel since its founding, making the country the largest recipient of U.S. foreign military financing.
