Muslim voters in city of Dearborn, Michigan reject Democrats over Gaza stance

ISTANBUL

Democrats’ traditional stronghold of Dearborn, Michigan, known as the capital of the Arab American community, delivered a stunning rebuke to the Democratic Party in Tuesday’s US presidential election over its support for Israel's actions in Gaza.

Unofficial results showed the Republicans’ Donald Trump securing 42.48% of the vote in the Midwestern city, well ahead of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’ 36.26%, while the Green Party's Jill Stein garnered 18.37%. with voter turnout at nearly 55%. In Michigan overall – long seen as a “Blue Wall” Democratic state – Trump also won, and also won the presidency.

Dearborn, home to North America's largest mosque and approximately 250,000 Muslim voters, saw a significant shift from 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden won Michigan by roughly 150,000 votes, beating then-President Trump, who was finishing his first term in office.

Voters had a difficult choice to make, given the tragedy in Gaza – where Israel’s attacks over the last 13 months have killed over 43,000 Palestinians, devastating the Gaza Strip – and their deep criticism of US policies, or to boycott the vote.

Rather than supporting Trump, the tendency has been to punish the Democratic leadership for its political, economic, and military support for the genocide in Gaza.

Abdullah Hammoud, Dearborn’s mayor and a Democrat, claimed the Biden administration views the Arab community merely as a "vote bank," criticizing the party's approach to Arab Americans.

The city, where 54.5% of residents claim Middle Eastern or North African heritage, witnessed intense campaign activities against Democrats by Muslim activists protesting the administration's Gaza policy.

The "Abandon Harris" movement in Michigan framed voting against Harris as "voting against genocide," reflecting widespread disapproval of the Democratic administration's military and economic support for Israel.

Bill Bazzi, the Arab American mayor of neighboring Dearborn Heights, defended his support for Trump – a supporter of Israel who as president controversially tried to ban people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the US – highlighting the absence of new wars during Trump's previous administration.

Meanwhile, some Arab and Muslim Americans, including advocacy group Emgage Action, still called for supporting Harris, arguing it was a strategic choice to prevent Trump from returning to office.

The election results in Dearborn signaled a significant shift in Arab American voting patterns, traditionally aligned with Democrats, and reflect growing dissatisfaction with US foreign policy in the Middle East.