Anger is mounting among Arab and Muslim Americans as the Biden administration faces backlash for its support of Israel’s war in Gaza. While President Joe Biden and his top aides have made efforts to reach out to these communities, their attempts are being met with skepticism and frustration. The Arab American News, a bilingual publication catering to Dearborn, Michigan’s Arabic-speaking population, recently featured a headline declaring, “He lost our votes,” accompanied by a photo of President Biden. This sentiment reflects the declining support for Biden among Arab American communities, with only 17 percent of respondents in a recent survey expressing support for the president, down from 59 percent in 2020.
The decline in support can be attributed to several factors. Early in the conflict, Biden expressed unwavering support for Israel while saying little about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Furthermore, he pledged increased political and military aid to Israel, which drew criticism from Arab Americans and progressives. Biden’s remarks casting doubt on the death toll in Gaza also added to the growing discontent. Despite these concerns, the Biden administration has made efforts to address domestic Islamophobia, particularly following a hate crime targeting a Palestinian-American boy. Off-the-record meetings with Palestinian and Muslim advocates were held, and a national strategy to combat Islamophobia was announced. However, these efforts have been dismissed as performative and falling flat by critics who see them as mere damage control.
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy groups, has dismissed the White House’s push to combat Islamophobia, stating that the first and most important step should be demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Muslim American advocates have been calling for formal US measures to combat Islamophobia for years, raising questions about the timing of last week’s announcement. Critics argue that the Biden administration’s focus on Islamophobia overlooks anti-Palestinian sentiment and fails to address the concerns of Palestinian American Christians and Jewish allies who support Palestinian rights.
The Biden administration’s outreach efforts are viewed as too little, too late by Palestinian American advocates who believe the community is extremely angry and upset. Many voices within the community are calling for a rejection of Biden and the Democratic Party in future elections. Meanwhile, Republicans have taken a more hawkish stance on Israel, as evidenced by a recent bill introduced by Republican lawmakers seeking to ban Palestinians from entering the US and deport Palestinians already in the country.
As tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, DC, to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, Biden became a target of speeches, chants, and signs accusing him of sponsoring war crimes against Palestinians. Arab and Muslim communities, collectively disillusioned with Biden and the Democratic Party, are left feeling politically homeless. The mounting death toll in Gaza has eroded the “lesser of two evils” argument that previously swayed some voters to support Democrats, leaving them with no viable choice.
Overall, the Biden administration’s attempts to win back support from Arab and Muslim Americans amidst the Gaza conflict have been met with skepticism and frustration. The decline in support for Biden among these communities highlights the need for concrete actions and a shift in policy rather than symbolic gestures.
