ARAB-AMERICAN LEADERS DUMP BIDEN
January 30, 2024The largest Arab American community in America is centred in Dearborn, Michigan and for any presidential candidate to win the vote, they need MICHIGAN.
Osama Siblani, the publisher of the @ArabAmericanNews in Dearborn, last week rejected without mincing his words, a request by President Joe Biden’s campaigner manager for Biden to visit Dearborn, stating that even if the president were to perform extraordinary feats, it would not sway their votes.
The reason behind this shift lies in the Arab-American community’s dissatisfaction with Biden’s administration unwavering support for Israel in its conflict with Gaza and perceived indifference to Palestinian casualties. Despite mounting pressure domestically, Biden has refrained from calling for a ceasefire.
Arab-American leaders like Siblani emphasize the diversity within their community, representing Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Syrians, and Yemenis. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with significant casualties among these communities, has intensified theIR dissatisfaction with Biden’s approach.
In another perspective, @NasserBeydoun, a Dearborn businessman of Lebanese descent, who is running for the U.S. Senate, accused President Biden of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, characterizing him as a criminal rather than a president. Similar sentiments expressed by some progressive Democrats in Congress have faced opposition from the pro-Israel lobby, leading to significant financial efforts to unseat them.
Beydoun claimed he was offered $20 million to run against Republican Congresswoman, @rashidatlaib , the only Palestinian American in Congress, has received significant backlash over her comments on the Israel-Hamas war.
Well done to the Arab American leaders and politicians for acting with integrity and standing on the right side of history.
Credits: @trtworld
#ICJJustice #ceasefirenow #Truth #Palestine #Gaza #Humanrights #Israel #فلسطين #اسرائیل #غزة
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English Script:
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: Michigan boasts an Arab-American population of over 250,000. Most of them are in Detroit’s suburbs. Three cities in this area are led by Arab-American mayors, a first in the United States. All that makes this community a coveted voting bloc by Democrats, and especially a president whose 2020 victory in Michigan hinged on their support.
Osama Siblani: Joe Biden will not get our votes if he stands on his head from now until November. Done.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: Minutes before our interview with the publisher of the Arab American News in Dearborn, Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, had come to explore the potential for a presidential visit here.
Osama Siblani: I just said it to his campaign manager that he has to do better than Jesus. Bring back thousands from dead.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: Arab-Americans say they’re abandoning Biden in November’s election because of his administration’s continued unconditional support for Israel in its war on Gaza and his downplaying of Palestinian casualties. Biden has yet to call for a cease fire, despite mounting domestic pressure.
Osama Siblani: Who are the Arab Americans in Michigan? There are Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Syrian and Yemenis and you are bombing the hell out of them. This president is destroying their country. They will not meet with her.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: Across town, we meet with Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun, who’s running for the U.S. Senate.
Nasser Beydoun: You have a US president that’s responsible for the deaths of 30,000. To us, that’s not a president. That’s a criminal.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: Similar statements made by a handful of progressive Democrats in Congress have led the pro-Israel lobby to spend tens of millions of dollars to try and unseat them.
Nasser Beydoun: I was approached by the former chairman of the Democratic Party from Michigan, and they offered me $20 million if I drop out of the race and run against Rashida Talib.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: That former chairman, Lon Johnson, denies he made the offer to Beydoun on behalf of the Israeli lobby. The other Democratic candidate for the Senate seat, Hill Harper, made the same claim weeks earlier.
Osama Siblani: When I got my citizenship in 1984 from President Reagan, that Republican President told us that “Now you became an American citizen. Don’t forget where you came from. Don’t forget your culture and heritage. Keep it and share it with Americans and make America great again.
Yasmin Al-Sabawi: That slogan now attached to the very likely Republican candidate in this year’s presidential race, one who was openly disparaged Arab Americans, many of whom are Muslims and immigrants. There are no definitive answers here about how exactly this community will approach the ballot. Only a commitment that Biden is not welcome to return. Yasmine Al-Sabawi, TRT World, Dearborn, Michigan.
