Vice President Kamala Harris met Arab American and Muslim leaders in Flint, Michigan, on Friday.
Significance Of The Meeting
The meeting is significant as Harris’ presidential campaign seeks to win back voters.
These voters are angry at U.S. support for Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
The meeting is one of several attempts in recent days to mend fences with Muslim and Arab voters.
Muslim And Arab Voters
These voters had resoundingly backed Joe Biden in 2020.
During the half-hour meeting, Harris expressed her concern on the scale of suffering in Gaza, civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon.
Discussion On Efforts To End The War
A campaign official said that she also discussed efforts to end the war, according to a campaign official.
Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action which recently endorsed her, said participants shared their deep disappointment with the U.S. handling of the crisis.
They called on her to do everything in her power to end the war and reset U.S. policy in the region.
“Emgage Action asked Vice President Harris to impress upon President Biden the urgency of bringing an immediate end to the violence” in Gaza and Lebanon.
Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon, said the meeting included a good “give and take” on several issues.
These included “the need for a ceasefire, and the support needed from the United States and its allies to address the humanitarian crisis.
The presidential leadership void in Lebanon, and the important role of the Lebanese Armed Forces, were also discussed.
“This was a valuable two-sided exchange. We’re going to continue to meet,” Gabriel said.
Prominent Persons Participated In The Meeting
Other participants included Assad Turfe, deputy county executive of Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county.
Jim Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute and a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee, said he declined the invitation.
Leaders from the Uncommitted National Movement protest campaign said they were not invited to the meeting.
Hala Hijazi, a longtime friend of Harris who has lost dozens of members of her family in Gaza, was unable to attend.
Tight Presidential Race
Harris, a Democrat, faces Republican former President Donald Trump on Nov. 5 in what opinion polls show to be a tight presidential race.
Both candidates have roughly even levels of support among Arab Americans, according to a recent poll by the Arab American Institute.
Tim Walz And Phil Gordon Reach Out To Muslim And Arab Community
On Thursday, Harris’ vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, promised Muslim voters an equal role in a Harris administration.
Harris’ national security adviser, Phil Gordon, virtually met with leaders from the Arab and Muslim community on Wednesday.
Gordon said the administration supports a ceasefire in Gaza, diplomacy in Lebanon and stability in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Criticism Of Biden And Harris
Critics say Biden and Harris have done too little to stop
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Some Arab Americans believe Harris’ refusal to distance
herself from President Biden’s policies in the Middle East, will cost her in November.
Lebanese Community Leader Will Not Vote For Harris
“Harris is going to lose Michigan,” said Ali Dagher, a Lebanese American attorney and community leader.
“I will not be voting for Kamala Harris. I cannot find a single person in the community who supports her.”
Earlier in the day, in Redford Township, Michigan, outside Detroit, Harris celebrated the union deal that ended a major port strike.
She also spoke at a fire station.
An aide said that the aim of organising the event was to show that Harris has support among the union’s rank-and-file members.
Harris Promises Support For Michigan’s Auto Industry
After the meeting with Arab American leaders, Harris appeared with United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain in Flint.
She vowed support for Michigan’s auto industry.
(With inputs from Reuters)
