Photo: Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images via AFP
In July, while playing golf with my dad in Michigan, a woman called out to me after seeing “Deira” printed in Arabic text on my shirt, a reference to the Al Deira Hotel, once a proud landmark in Gaza now reduced to rubble by Israeli forces.
It’s worrisome to wear Arabic in public these days, but this club has members who hail from Israel’s neighbors, including those of Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian descent.
“We lost 18 family members in the Orthodox Church bombing.”
“I’m from the West Bank!” the woman yelled.
I recognized her; her husband is Lebanese. She asked about my shirt, so I explained the story of the Al Deira Hotel. Her companion, a Syrian woman, chimed in: “We lost 18 family members in the Orthodox Church bombing.” I interjected that my cousin’s cousin lost three children in that same bombing. She paused, then said, “That’s my cousin.” We smiled, bittersweetly, realizing — as people of Arab heritage often do in Michigan — that we’re likely distant relatives.
This wasn’t in Dearborn. It was in Grand Rapids, which helped deliver the state to Joe Biden in 2020. My dad’s family, like many in West Michigan, comes from Lebanon — though when my great-grandfather journeyed here, it was still Syria.
Our family that remains in Lebanon dwells almost exclusively in the Bekaa Valley, a fertile oasis where vineyards and crops flourish, cradled between majestic peaks that stand sentinel near the Syrian border. This lush landscape has been their ancestral home for generations. It’s also a Hezbollah stronghold, and today families like mine fear for their lives as Israeli bombs rain from the sky.
Another Twist of the Knife
Until now, the story of Michigan’s role in the election has centered on Arab Americans’ profound discontent with the Democratic Party over Israel’s relentless devastation of Gaza. The war has left deep emotional wounds.
Israel’s recent military incursion into Lebanon feels like another twist of the knife, intensifying the sense of betrayal and alienation of one of the most critical voting constituencies in the country.
Kamala Harris’s chances of winning the presidency will plummet if she loses Michigan, and current polling shows she and Donald Trump are neck and neck there.
We may look back on the weeks after Israel invaded Lebanon as the moment Harris lost significant ground.
In addition to about 9,000 Palestinian Americans, Michigan is home to roughly 82,000 Lebanese Americans — more than any other state. Considering that Hillary Clinton lost Michigan by fewer than 11,000 voters in 2016, Lebanese Michiganders could very well decide the 2024 election.
Come November 5, I think we may look back on the weeks after Israel invaded Lebanon as the moment Harris lost significant ground in the race.
As I sat down to write this, I got a text from a family member back in Michigan, Reema Ghareeb: “I just found out there was a strike three minutes from my cousin’s house.”
She was going to vote for Harris, but now she doesn’t think she can.
“I’d never vote for Trump, he’d be worse,” she said, “but in light of what’s happening in Lebanon I have no idea how I can vote for Harris.”
Post-Biden Hopes
Biden’s departure from the ticket in July sparked the belief among some Arab Americans that change was possible. When Israel responded to the October 7 attacks by invading Gaza last year, Harris was not the face of the Democratic Party. That distinction gave her a little wiggle room to decouple from Biden’s decision to unconditionally back Israel.
Now, with Harris leading the party and Israel bombing Lebanon with America’s full support, that sense of distance has vanished.
Since last month, Israel’s assault in Lebanon has driven more than 1.2 million people from their homes and killed over 2,000. Twenty-two people were killed in a Beirut apartment building leveled by a U.S.-made bomb. Kamel Jawad, an American citizen from Michigan, who was caring for his mother, was among them.
Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
On August 18, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a photo was taken by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images.
The disappointment in Kamala Harris is growing as the violence continues, leading many to question if she is just more of the same. The Arab American Political Action Committee in Michigan decided not to issue a presidential endorsement for the first time due to both candidates endorsing actions in Gaza and Lebanon that they deemed as genocidal.
Nada Al-Hanooti from Emgage mentioned that the situation in Lebanon has made it challenging to persuade voters, as many are struggling to see past their grief. Despite efforts from Arab and Muslim leaders in Michigan to urge Harris to push for a ceasefire, the administration backed away from the proposal and endorsed Israel’s invasion.
Arab Michiganders are feeling abandoned as Americans in Lebanon face difficulties returning home, contrasting the swift response to citizens in Israel. The slow and disorganized evacuation process for Americans in Lebanon has caused frustration and anger among politicians like Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
With the election approaching, concerns are rising about the Democrats’ strategy in Michigan. The neglect of American safety in Lebanon and the risks posed to the critical battleground state could have significant implications for the upcoming election.
There is a plea for Harris to offer a commitment to restrain Netanyahu and provide hope for Lebanese families in Michigan. The deep connections Michiganders have with Lebanon extend beyond war-torn areas, impacting families, communities, and networks. The grief and disillusionment felt by the Lebanese diaspora may translate into silence at the ballot box if not addressed. Could you please rewrite this text?
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