For many Arab Americans in the Twin Cities and across the country, putting hope into practice has not been easy.
Providing a president who will end the war in Gaza is non-negotiable for them, and dissatisfaction with the presidential candidates of both major parties is growing.
A key factor in the decision is the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza, which has alienated many Arab Americans.
Some are considering the option of switching to the Green Party or not voting at all.
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Christine Herb is Palestinian and says she will vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. She is reluctant to do so, but feels she has no other choice.
Kristin Herb sits for a portrait outdoors in Minneapolis on October 23.
Liam James Doyle appears on MPR News
“While I believe in many things that are in her platform, I don’t necessarily think that Jill Stein is the savior of the American people or the future of this country,” Herb said.
Herb is a medical resident in Minneapolis. She was born in Iowa and grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for five years before fleeing to the United States.
The 31-year-old has voted Democratic in the past, but says the two-party system is flawed.
“Is it important to vote? Ideally, yes, I don’t have the right to vote in Palestine. But here in the United States, I don’t feel like my vote is making a difference, and I don’t feel like my vote is making a difference.” I also don’t believe that the party system adequately reflects the ideals of the American people,” Herb said.
She’s not alone in feeling this way.
The Biden administration’s support for Israel led to a significant drop in support from Arab Americans, both Christians and Muslims, especially in battleground states like Michigan.
Turnout among Arab Americans has traditionally been around 80 percent, but surveys show a decline, with 63 percent of the community voting, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based Arab American Institute. He feels that he is passionate about it.
Tarek Abueid poses for a portrait at Open Book in Minneapolis on October 24th.
Sophia Marshall | MPR News
Tarek Abueid, a Palestinian American, planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. He recently changed his mind and said he doesn’t expect Harris to change much with the Biden administration, which has continued to provide billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.
“Since October 7 and the ongoing Palestinian massacre, I have been truly disappointed in our government, its response, and the Democratic Party’s response to the situation in Gaza,” Abu Eid said.
Not all Arab Americans agree on who to vote for.
Some people are voting for Trump as part of their protest.
Some people have decided to support the Democratic Party and vote for Harris. Like Rabi Nahas, a medical worker from Lebanon who has lived in the United States for 40 years.
Lebanese-American voter Rabbi Nahas poses for a photo on the Midtown Greenway near Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
“I feel like I’m going to hold my nose and vote for Harris because she’s the lesser of two evils in this binary election where the other choice would be Trump. And that’s going to be even worse for many people in the United States and outside the United States,” Nahas said.
Khaldun Samman is a professor of sociology at Macalester College in St. Paul. The 61-year-old is Jordanian. He immigrated to the United States when he was nine years old.
He said he was voting for Mr Stein to send a message, even though he knew the Green Party candidate probably wouldn’t win.
“Whether you’re thinking in terms of the Middle East or Palestine, or whether you’re thinking in terms of people’s rights and the poor, there is a sane response by people who have been forced to vote for the lesser of two evils. I think we need to make a statement. We need to earn the rights and start thinking about how we can get them to take us seriously,” Saman said.
But Saman said she worries about a potential backlash against Arab Americans if Harris loses. And he says he wants the community’s concerns to be taken seriously and recognized in the larger political framework.
Khaldoon Samman plays the drums and poses for a portrait inside the New Arab Theater Works in Minneapolis on October 24.
Sophia Marshall | MPR News
Like Herb, many people are fighting for meaningful expression amidst difficult choices.
“Some may argue that voting for Jill Stein is a throwaway vote, but honestly, I don’t blame the people who voted for Kamala Harris for their gender-affirming care. . I’m also an abortion provider. I’m a lesbian,” she said.
“I understand the cost of being president, but I want to make it abundantly clear to Palestinians and Arabs who have witnessed the genocide of their families and the loss of everything they ever owned that I will be president.” You can’t force us to vote for someone who has done this to us.” Please don’t stop supporting countries that do this to us. ”