DEARBORN, MICHIGAN—

In three key U.S. contested states – North Carolina, Minnesota and Michigan – tens of thousands of Americans voted “no vote” in the primaries instead of voting for President Joe Biden.

It was part of a movement by Arab Americans in Michigan to protest the president’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, which the Health Department says has killed at least 30,000 Palestinians. The weapons used by Israel in Gaza are largely U.S.-funded and manufactured in the United States.

“My anger towards him is immeasurable. It’s nothing compared to how I feel about Trump.” Samraa Luqman, co-chair of the group Give Up Biden in Michigan ) said the group is committed to defeating the president in the November election.

“The betrayal, and the assumption that the Democratic Party stood for the moral high ground, human rights and minority protection, was gone.”

More than 100,000 Michiganders, or 13% of Democratic voters, voted “no vote” in the state’s Feb. 27 primary. Michigan has the largest Arab-American population in the country. By voting “uncommitted,” they signaled to Biden that he risked losing Arab-American votes in key battleground states. Without Michigan, Biden still has a path to victory, but it’s much more difficult.

“The majority of Arab Americans are registered as Democrats, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by about two to one, but their voting patterns vary from year to year,” said Amni Shula, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Amny Shuraydi, an expert in Arab-American studies.

“There are very conservative Arab Americans and there are very liberal Arab Americans, just like any other group of voters. But Middle Eastern politics is certainly at the forefront of most Arab American and Muslim voters and how they make their final decisions Makes a difference. When it comes to voting.”

In 2016, former President Donald Trump won Michigan by less than 11,000 votes. In 2020, Biden won by about 120,000 votes. There are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Arab Americans in the state, although not all are eligible to vote.

“We focus on Arab Americans in Michigan because they almost have the votes to change the outcome of the election,” said Jeffrey Glinawski, an associate professor of political science at Wayne State University in Detroit.

After the Michigan primary, a spokesman for the Biden campaign said the president heard from voters who participated in the uncommitted campaign and said he shared the goal of a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. . In recent weeks, the Biden administration has pushed for a temporary ceasefire and more aid to Gaza. The Biden team also met with local Arab American leaders.

Glinawski said Michigan has a population of more than 10 million, so the Arab-American vote alone may be insignificant to the overall election results, but there are other signs that worry the president.

“If I were a Biden adviser, I would be worried not only about Arab Americans. It’s about young people, because almost the vast majority of young people are disgusted by what I’ve seen in my interactions with them,” Grinawiski said explain. “You look at the voter turnout in Ann Arbor, near the University of Michigan, and you see a high turnout and a very unsettled turnout.”

Yusef Ahmed, a college student who voted “uncommitted” in the primary, said there was no way he would vote for Biden in November.

“Even if he decided to do a complete 360, he would have done a lot of damage,” Ahmed said.

Adam Abusalah said he worked to help get Biden elected in 2020, but the president couldn’t do anything to get him back in 2024.

“We thought he would lead this country with humanity and compassion. But instead, he has been leading with hypocrisy,” Absala said. “We said, ‘Enough is enough.’ We no longer want our tax dollars to be used to buy bombs and provide more military aid to Israel to bomb Palestinians. We would rather that money go into our schools.”

The potential political damage could extend beyond the presidential campaign. Progressive Arab Americans may lean toward Michigan Senate candidate Justin Amash, a Palestinian Republican who will face pro-Israel Democrat Elissa Slotkin in November (Elissa Slotkin).

“I can tell you that even as a progressive myself, that is, on the left, I would have voted for Justin Amash over Slotkin,” Luckman said. “Let’s look at a Republican senator from Michigan. Democrats have a lot to lose, not just the presidency.”

Lukman said when asked if she thought possible Republican nominee Trump would have better policies toward Arab Americans and U.S. policies toward Israel and the Palestinians.

“I lived through four years of Trump, but 30,000 innocent Palestinians lost their lives and they can’t live through Joe Biden’s presidency.”

Meanwhile, there is evidence that the “No Commitment” movement started by Arab Americans in Michigan is spreading. In the March 5 “Super Tuesday” Democratic primary, 19% of Minnesota voters and 13% of North Carolina voters voted “no vote.”

The “uncommitment” movement now turns its focus to Washington state, which will hold its primary election on March 12.