CHICAGO: Nasser Beydoun, a prominent member of the Democratic Party in Michigan and a former candidate for the US Senate, said the “door is open” for Vice President Kamala Harris to win the support of Arab and Muslim Americans for her campaign to become president, but to do so she must be “more responsive” to the community’s concerns.
He said Arab and Muslim Americans traditionally have been big supporters of the Democratic Party for many years but there are growing concerns within the community about the failure of the Biden-Harris administration to do “what’s necessary to bring peace to the Gaza Strip.”
During an appearance on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show” this week, Beydoun, a Lebanese American, said Arab and Muslim Americans want to support Harris but cannot commit until she makes a “clear and explicit” statement supporting the creation of a Palestinian state, along with ending the Israeli genocide in Gaza.”
He added: “If Kamala Harris wanted to do something, she would come out and say, ‘When I become president, I am going to support a political state, I am not going to veto when the rest of the world says there should be a Palestinian state.’”
Instead, Beydun said, all she has stated is “’I stand with Israel’s right to defend itself. We have to bring the hostages home. And we need a ceasefire in Gaza.’ That’s not enough. Not when you have 40,000 people killed and not when you have my country supporting the genocide.
“If you want us, this is what you have to do to win our vote. It is no more ‘Come take a picture, eat some hummus and you have our vote.’ Those days are gone. I hope every Arab American and Muslim in this country has that same philosophy. We are too nice of a community and we have been docile long enough. Enough is enough.
“When there is a genocide on the line and when we see Israel taking this country down with it, then we have to say enough is enough and we are not going to tolerate it. So if Kamala Harris wants my vote she has to earn my vote. She doesn’t get it just because she is not Joe Biden.”
Beydoun also harshly criticized the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, saying he is not an option for Arab and Muslim American voters. “He doesn’t know what is right or what is wrong,” he added.
Polling shows “60 percent of the American public saying they want a ceasefire (in Gaza) and only 7 percent of Congress willing to mention the word ceasefire because of” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he said.
Beydoun planned to stand in the primary election on Aug. 6 to choose the Democratic candidate to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who is not standing for reelection in November. Despite collecting enough signatures to qualify, however, he was removed from the ballot for technical reasons because he listed only a campaign post office box rather than his home address on required paperwork. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin won the primary and received the nomination.
You can listen to the full interview with Beydoun on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on WNZK 690 AM radio in Michigan, or online at ArabNews.com/RayRadioShow.
