For these Arab-Americans, the election offers no easy choices
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For many Arab-Americans in the Twin Cities and across the country, practicing hope hasn't been easy.
It’s non-negotiable for them to have a president who will end the war in Gaza and frustration with both major party presidential candidates is rising.
A significant factor in this decision is the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza, which has left many Arab-Americans feeling alienated.
Some are considering alternative choices — turning to the Green Party or opting not to vote at all.
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Christine Harb is Palestinian and says she’s voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. She’s reluctant to do that but feels she has no choice.
“I do believe in a lot of things that are included in her platform, but I don’t necessarily think that Jill Stein is a savior of the American people or the future of this country, because I don’t think any single person is,” Harb said.
Harb is a medical resident in Minneapolis. She was born in Iowa, and raised in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for five years, before fleeing back to the U.S.
Though the 31-year-old previously voted Democrat, she says the two party system is flawed.
“Is it important to vote? Ideally, yes, I don’t have any voting rights in Palestine. However, here in the United States, I don’t feel like my vote is making a difference, and I don’t feel like the two party system appropriately reflects the ideals of the American people,” Harb said.
She’s not alone in how she feels.
The Biden administration’s support for Israel has led to a significant decline in support from Arab-Americans, both Christian and Muslim, particularly in swing states like Michigan.
The Arab American Institute, which is based in Washington, D.C., reports that while Arab American voter turnout has traditionally been about 80 percent, their survey shows a decline — with 63 percent of the community feeling enthusiastic about voting.
Palestinian American Tarek Aboueid was planning to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. He recently changed his mind and says he doesn’t believe Harris will be much different from Biden’s administration, which has continued to provide Israel with billions of dollars in military aid.
“Since Oct. 7 and the ongoing genocide of Palestine, I’ve been really disappointed in our government, our government’s response, how the Democrats have handled the situation in Gaza,” Aboueid said.
Not all Arab Americans are aligned about who to vote for.
Some, in a move of protest, are voting for Trump.
Others have decided to stick with the Democrats and vote for Harris. Like Rabih Nahas, a health worker from Lebanon who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years.
“It feels like I will be holding my nose and voting for Harris because she’s the lesser of two evils in this binary election where the other choice is going to be Trump, and that’s going to be worse for a lot of populations in the U.S. and outside the U.S.,” Nahas said.
Khaldoun Samman is a professor of sociology at Macalester College in St. Paul. The 61-year-old is Jordanian. He moved to the U.S. when he was 9 years old.
He says even though he knows a Green Party candidate likely won’t win, he’s voting for Stein to send a message.
“I think there needs to be a sound statement by those who have been forced to vote for the less of the two evils, no matter if you’re thinking about it in terms of the Middle East, Palestine or for people’s rights and poor people’s rights, and to start thinking about, how do we get them to take take us seriously,” Samman said.
Samman says he worries though about potential backlash against Arab Americans if Harris loses. And he says he hopes the community’s concerns are taken seriously and recognized in the larger political landscape.
Many, like Harb, are fighting for meaningful representation amidst challenging choices.
“Some people could argue it’s a throwaway vote to vote for Jill Stein, and honestly, I don’t blame people for voting for Kamala Harris. I do gender affirming care. I’m also an abortion provider. I’m a lesbian,” she said.
“I understand the costs of a Trump presidency, but you cannot force Palestinians and Arabs who are witnessing the mass slaughter of their family members and the loss of everything they’ve ever owned to vote for someone who has made it abundantly clear that she will not stop supporting the country that is doing this to us.”
