Staff Reports
The Muslim community in Nevada, a crucial swing state, made clear on Monday that they won’t be giving President Biden any love in the next election. Why, you ask? Well, it seems they’re upset that Biden isn’t demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. They even scheduled a press conference in Las Vegas to announce their plans to ditch their support for the president.
Nevada Muslim leaders announce plan to ditch Biden in critical swing statehttps://t.co/ALp2cAaAD5 pic.twitter.com/zMaSJDWNnP
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 19, 2023
Apparently, the president has been trying to walk a tightrope, showing love for Israel while also calling for some restraint in their military response to the sneaky terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th. But he simply won’t urge Israel to pursue a cease-fire, and that’s got the Muslim community in a tizzy. They’re saying Biden has abandoned them as innocent Palestinian civilians continue to perish in Israel’s relentless response in Gaza.
One Nevada Muslim leader, Alazis Eddebbarh, didn’t mince words. He said, “Our community’s voice is powerful, and we are using it to hold leaders accountable. We cannot support a presidency that turns a blind eye to the genocide of innocent Palestinian children.”
And get this – apparently, over 17,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive in Gaza, while around 1,200 folks got the ax in the Hamas attack on Israel. It’s a real mess over there, and the Muslim leaders in Nevada aren’t holding back in letting Biden know they’re unimpressed.
They’re not the only ones, either. A poll released by Reuters/Zogby found that only 17% of Arab Americans are feeling the Biden love lately, down from 59% in 2020. In contrast, 40% of Arab American respondents said they would choose former President Donald Trump in 2024. It looks like Arab Americans are starting to jump ship from the Democratic party.
He’s tried to smooth things over with the Muslim community by setting up meetings and initiatives to improve relations. He even set up the first national strategy to fight Islamophobia in November. He’s been meeting with Muslim and Arab American leaders to talk about how to be more supportive of their communities. And at a meeting with Muslim American leaders in October, he even apologized for questioning the accuracy of the Palestinian death count reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is under Hamas control.
Arab Americans might not be a huge portion of the population, but they’re living in battleground states that could make or break an election. And let’s not forget, Biden only won Nevada by about 34,000 votes. With around 7,000 Muslims in the state, any drop in support could spell trouble for Biden in 2024.
But it’s not just Nevada – in Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the Muslim population is big enough to have a say in an election. And let’s not forget, Biden won those states by pretty slim margins. He’s got his work cut out for him if he wants to keep the Muslim vote in his pocket.
