The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
As of 2024, an estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots. Arab Americans, one of the most prominent immigrant groups, migrated to the U.S. in the late 1800s. Since their migration to the U.S., the group has typically leaned Democratic. Following the 9/11 attacks, the rise in Islamophobia and the evolving dynamics in the country alienated the group from the Republican Party. This alienation increased Arab-Americans’ Democratic leaning, as they saw the party to be more inclusive and accepting of their Arab identity. Yet, in November’s shocking election results, curiosity looms: Why did the Harris-Walz campaign underperform among core groups, most especially Arab Americans?
The Harris-Walz ticket lost ground with a longstanding base of reliable blue voters, one of the party’s hardest-hitting losses being the shift of the Arab American vote. The setback, however, as I assumed, wasn’t an unexpected one. It stemmed largely from the Biden-Harris administration’s lack of support for Palestine amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Biden-Harris administration’s inadequate address and support of Palestinian sovereignty pushed many Arab Americans with familial ties to the region to vote third party or Republican at the ballot. With the hopes that Democrats would support democracy and the lives of innocent civilians, their inability to do so cost them their loyal base of voters and harmed their reputation among younger voters for future elections to come.
Yet Democrats, and particularly the Biden-Harris administration, failed Arab voters in their fight to mobilize and seek justice for Palestinian rights. Instead, the party actively supports Israel’s "right to defend itself" with arms that continue to kill masses of people. As the crisis in Gaza has escalated, many Arab Americans feel the administration’s response completely lacked sufficient acknowledgment of humanitarian needs in the region.
Critics argue that the administration’s overwhelming and firm support for Israel’s “right to self-defense” overshadowed the calls for a ceasefire or increased humanitarian aid, which the Arab American community hoped to see. To many Arab Americans, the U.S. government’s approach appeared lopsided, exclusive and sidelined urgent concerns for Palestinian safety and well-being. Some adopted a slogan towards the Democratic party’s loss, “Don’t blame us, blame yourself.” Apparent at most Harris-Walz campaign rallies and protests, pro-Palestinian supporters were shunned and escorted out, signaling one of the campaign’s biggest missteps.
In the aftermath of the election, it remains clear that while a lack of strong stances on the border or the economy existed, it was the Harris-Walz campaign’s underscoring of the active genocide in Gaza that lost Arab-American votes. The shift in political allegiance among Arab Americans this election season was one to see with many saying, “Genocide is bad politics.”
As reflected in the results from election night, Kamala Harris and her campaign ignored the Arab community’s calls for Palestinian support. This misstep reflects the major shift of the Arab-American community from blue to red. At the expense of alienating her loyal Democratic base, Harris jeopardized her ability to perform well with Arab and Muslim Americans alongside the other list of groups she failed.
Harbani Kohli is a junior in the School of Communication and School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Alana Parker, Rebeca Samano Arellano and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ella Rousseau and Nicole Kariuki.
