On Tuesday, (31st October), Muslim Americans and prominent Democratic Party organisers pressed for a ceasefire in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine tensions after Hamas attacked the Jewish state on 7th October. They declared that millions of Muslim voters would abstain from contributing to and voting in favour of President Joe Biden in the 2024 reelection if he does not act quickly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
The National Muslim Democratic Council urged Biden to use his connections with Israel to mediate a ceasefire by Tuesday at 5 p.m. The council is made up of Democratic Party officials from closely disputed states including Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania that are likely to vote in the election.
Muslim leaders signed an open letter titled “2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum,” pledging to organise Muslim voters to “withhold endorsement, support, or votes for any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people.”
“Your administration’s unconditional support, encompassing funding and armaments, has played a significant role in perpetuating the violence that is causing civilian casualties and has eroded trust in voters who previously put their faith in you,” the council wrote.
The organisation’s founding co-chairs are former U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress and the attorney general of Minnesota, and Representative Andre Carson of Indiana.
The letter is the most recent example of the growing resentment and indignation in Arab and Muslim American communities over Biden’s unwillingness to denounce Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Israel counter-attacked Gaza following an attack on October 7 by Hamas terrorists from Gaza that claimed 1,400 lives and kidnapped 239 captives.
On Monday (30th October), medical authorities in Gaza announced that Israel’s three-week-long air and ground assault had claimed 8,306 lives, 3,457 of them were youngsters.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, declared on Monday (30th October) that he would not consent to an end to the attacks on Gaza. According to John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the United States, “Hamas is the only one that would gain from that right now.”
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American politician from Minnesota, criticized Joe Biden for his backing of “Israel’s genocidal campaign in Palestine” and concluded with the words “Don’t count on our vote in 2024.”
The Sacramento Valley Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) executive director, Basim Elkarra, noted that Michigan’s 16 electoral votes were won by a close margin and suggested that Muslim votes could be critical for Biden in his 2024 bid for a second term.
A similar cease-fire ultimatum was given by Muslim Americans in Minnesota last week, with a deadline of noon on Tuesday. Biden is scheduled to visit the state on Wednesday (1st November). They said they planned a protest on Wednesday when the president visits their state.
The Biden reelection campaign did not respond right away. A White House official stated that Biden convened a meeting with a few Muslim leaders last week and that administration representatives are still meeting with members of the Arab and Muslim communities who are unhappy with Biden’s handling of the situation.
Despite identifying as a Zionist, Biden has nominated more Muslims and Arab Americans to political positions than any other president, including the first two Muslim federal judges.
Muslim American leaders in other hotly contested states that are critical to Biden’s 2024 reelection will make similar demands, according to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR in Minnesota. “We expect Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states to do the same this week,” Hussein said.
Hussein declared that unless Biden called for an end to the fighting, he would be forced to vote against him in 2024. He declared that he was not speaking for CAIR, but rather for himself.
According to Hussein, roughly 70% of Muslim Americans supported Biden in 2020.
Muslim Americans in the state are demanding an immediate ceasefire, according to Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR in Philadelphia, but he is not aware of any plans to establish a deadline.
