A S ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES BOMBARD HAMAS and Hezbollah militants nearly 6,000 miles away from his home in Philadelphia, Saif Iqbal wants Vice President Kamala Harris to distance the United States from Israel-an attitude that could prove crucial in November.
Iqbal, 29, helped mobilize opposition to Donald Trump in 2020 as part of the Million Muslim Votes campaign, but the activist and lifelong Democrat isn't ready to commit to Harris.
Muslim Americans nationwide backed President Joe Biden by a huge margin in 2020, with 86 percent voting for the president and just 6 percent supporting Trump, a survey found. However, the bloc of more than 2.5 million registered voters has increasing concerns over Harris' handling of the Israel-Hamas war-potentially shifting crucial support to Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who leads the vice president in three battleground states among Muslims.
"Muslim voters are frustrated because they feel that the administration is unwilling to address human rights abuses that the U.S. is financially supporting," Iqbal told Newsweek.
Washington's unwavering diplomatic, financial and military support of Israel amid ongoing military campaigns in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon leaves many Muslim voters in an "impossible position," Iqbal said.
The escalating conflict could also be a factor for roughly 6 million Jewish Americans, though overall the Middle East is seen as less important than domestic issues and there is little sign of them being swayed by Trump's statements that he is the only one who can defend Israel.
Battleground states where the two voting blocs could prove pivotal include North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Biden won two of the three states four years ago, but the nearly 80,000 registered Muslim voters in the Peach State far exceeds the 11,700-vote margin of his victory.
This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of Newsweek US.
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This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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