- Arab Americans disillusioned, indifferent
- Gaza conflict pivotal
- Iowa voters seek change
This week, delegates worldwide, including national media outlets, political analysts, and presidential candidates, gathered in Des Moines, the Iowa capital, for the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses.
A few miles, however, away from the location where Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis exchanged barbs on Wednesday evening, Mohamed Ali, a local merchant, appeared unfazed.
Ali stated, while blowing smoke from his hookah pipe in a crowded café outside Des Moines, “In all honesty, we don’t care about them.” “Amidst the endless debates, everyone vies for the highest level of support for Israel.”
Although the 46-year-old Palestinian American father of three was apathetic towards the campaign for the Republican nomination, he stated unequivocally that he would not support Democratic President Joe Biden for a second term in November.
Ali, who previously backed Biden in 2020, declared the Israeli invasion of Gaza a turning point.
Adorned in a light blue blazer and donning a white button-up shirt, he fluctuated between stoicism and fury, expressing anger at Biden’s support for Israel and indifference towards the 2024 elections.
“The Muslim and Arab communities do not intend to vote for Biden,” Ali stated while Arabic contemporary music played loudly in the cafe’s background. “Not a single individual I spoke with expressed intention to vote for Biden.”
Furthermore, he stated that the mere possibility of Donald Trump’s re-election failed to motivate Arab Americans to support the Democratic Party in the presidential election.
Ali was born to Palestinian refugee parents in Lebanon. Before relocating to Iowa, the rural, sparsely populated state where the inaugural Republican primary contest will be held on Monday, he pursued his education in Tunisia.
As the Gaza conflict progresses, Ali, like many Arab and Muslim Americans, has become disillusioned with mainstream American politics. Biden has declared his “unwavering” support for Israel, and his Republican opponents have vied to demonstrate their support for the United States ally more effectively.
Amid this, there has been an increasing global outcry regarding the escalating loss of life in Gaza, where an Israeli military operation has claimed the lives of more than 23,700 Palestinians. This week, Israel was accused of genocide in front of the International Court of Justice.
Thus, as the Iowa election approaches, many Arab Americans feel ensnared between Biden and an impasse.
Many are currently devoting their efforts to grassroots activism in Gaza. Ali has orchestrated several Palestine solidarity demonstrations in Des Moines, which have attracted hundreds of participants.
The litmus test
Iowa, despite being predominantly Caucasian, harbours significant Arab and Muslim communities. A grassroots initiative approximated the Arab American population in Iowa to be 17,700 individuals out of a total population of 3.2 million.
Cedar Rapids, located in eastern Iowa, is home to one of the oldest mosques in the United States. In 2022, the city of Cedar Rapids elected its first Arab American state legislator.
Iowa City, a college town south of Cedar Rapids, is home to an expanding Sudanese American community. Concurrently, Arab and Muslim Americans from the Middle East, South Asia, and Bosnia congregate in Des Moines.
Although not a homogenous group, over a dozen activists shared the sentiment that Republicans alienate US Arabs and Muslims but will not support Biden.
The cessation of hostilities in Gaza has emerged as the primary concern among a significant number of politically engaged Arab Americans in Iowa. They have made their voices heard through organizing protests, meeting with representatives, and advocating for ceasefire resolutions at the local level.
“I find it extremely difficult to stomach anyone who, at this time, cannot call for a ceasefire, regardless of which party they are in,” said Maria Reveiz, the proprietor of a jazz club in Des Moines and a Lebanese-American yoga instructor.
“Withdrawal from the Democratic Party.” I am not affiliated with any organization. Moving forward, Palestine will be a diagnostic test for anyone seeking my support.
This sense of disenfranchisement among Arab and Muslim Americans in Iowa has been exacerbated by the presidential campaigns’ failure to engage in sufficient outreach this year.
In 2020, Democrats garnered significant attention for arranging caucuses in Iowa mosques. Conversely, Republican candidates have yet to engage with Arab and Muslim Americans proactively, exacerbating the indifference of these communities towards the race on Monday.
Reveiz, a mother of three with curly hair, supported Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic caucuses; however, she has since covered a Palestinian flag decal on her laptop depicting Sanders in a mittened state.
Sanders has not advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza to be permanent.
With a keffiyeh adorning the fireplace, a painting by a Palestinian artist adorning the wall, and a scarf featuring the hues of the Palestinian flag decorating a stand, Reveiz’s residence resembled a shrine for Palestine. Reveiz adorned her neck with a pendant that read “Palestine” in Arabic.
Even a Buddha statue adorned with a Palestinian flag was in the corner of her living room.
Reveiz had accompanied an aid organization on multiple trips to Gaza over the past few years to facilitate yoga classes to address trauma. Israeli shelling in Palestinian territory subsequently slew one of her companions.
“Ahmad Ismail,” Reveiz murmured, avoiding emotional expression as she said so. “Unique human being.”
As Israel restricted access to food, medication, and water in Gaza, Ismail was struck by shelling in Deir el-Balah while he was on his roof collecting rainwater.
Reveiz stated that she has reached a point where staff members recognize her after she has initiated contact with the offices of her congressional representatives so frequently. She has also demanded a cessation in a letter to the White House. However, she has yet to receive any affirmative replies to her inquiries. “It is in vain,” Reveiz declared.
Iowa City consensus
Causal activists in Iowa City, situated approximately two hours east of Des Moines, directed their efforts towards the city council to promote their cause.
The Iowa City city council voted 4-3 on January 2 to adopt a resolution mandating a cessation of hostilities. Even though municipalities have little influence over foreign policy, Palestinian American professor Deema Totah of the University of Iowa deemed the measure crucial.
“For our voices to be acknowledged and for democracy to function, we require some mechanism.” “Moreover, this mechanism operates via local government in this vast nation,” Totah explained.
“The local government possesses the capacity to amplify these voices, to be ahead of history, and to state publicly that some citizens opposed this — that the United States did not support funding Israel’s military campaign — this was not their position.”
“We desire that future historical records record this as a unilateral action taken by a government against the people’s will.”
After enacting the measure, Tarweeh Osman, a Sudanese American community organizer who advocated for the resolution, expressed that she felt acknowledged.
However, she expressed feeling “alienated” and “unheard” by both Biden and the Republican presidential candidates contending for Iowa’s support.
She observed that politicians’ unwavering backing for Israel is translating into measures to suppress pro-Palestinian activism in the United States. She cited DeSantis, one of the Republican candidates in this year’s Iowa caucuses.
, as an illustration: he prohibited a Palestinian rights student organization from attending state universities while serving as governor of Florida.
Osman stated, “It is alarming that our political representatives are methodically delegitimizing legitimate political dissent protected by the First Amendment to appease pro-Israel interest groups.”
However, she further stated that Palestinian rights advocates might be harmed by an additional four years of Biden administration, considering the president’s unwavering support for Israel.
Totah, for her part, stated that the dehumanizing rhetoric of both main parties towards Palestinians has “erased and discarded” her.
Biden questioned the Palestinian casualties resulting from the conflict in October, referring to the slaughter of civilians as the “cost of waging war.”
“Historically, I have cast my ballot in the Democratic Party. But I am unable to vote for Biden this year. “At the moment, I am also considering third-party candidates,” Totah explained.
Ceasefire requests
Earlier this month, Sami Scheetz, a Democrat representing Cedar Rapids in the Iowa State Legislature, advocated for the Iowa City ceasefire resolution during its deliberations.
His election as the first Arab American member of the state House in 2022, according to Scheetz, exemplifies the “strength and diversity” of the community.
Scheetz further stated that his advocacy for the rights of Arabs and Palestinians “during the Gaza War has come at a political cost.” However, he has not personally encountered direct discrimination.
Political figures who express dissent towards Israeli policies have encountered opposition from pro-Israel organizations throughout the nation. Several US media outlets report that the pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC is preparing to spend over $100 million in the upcoming election to defeat progressives who are calling for a ceasefire in Congress.
However, Scheetz stated that the “alarming reality” on the ground in Gaza inspired his advocacy.
Scheetz stated, “It is crucial to oppose injustice and prioritize human rights, despite the repercussions that may result.”
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Political Struggles Amid Gaza Crisis
“It is indisputable that the current strategy requires an immediate reevaluation in light of this catastrophic devastation; the ceaseless military campaign is not only unjust but also a formidable impediment to the possibility of establishing a lasting peace in the region.”
Instead of mentioning Palestinians, Scheetz’s Republican colleagues in the Iowa State House are drafting a resolution that supports Israel’s “right to act decisively and unilaterally in self-defence” via its military operations in Gaza.
However, relations between the state’s Democratic Party and Palestinian rights advocates have been fraught.
A Democratic student organization was criticized by Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart last year for issuing a statement that included the inscription, “May every Palestinian live long and free, from the river to the sea.”
The chair of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Arab American Caucus, Newman Abuissa, has retaliated against Hart and demanded that she issue an apology.
According to Abuissa, Arab Americans, emphasizing the gap between the Democratic leadership and the majority of voters supporting a Gaza ceasefire, are attempting to make their voices heard within the party.
When queried about the level of interest expressed by Arab Americans in the Republican caucuses, he responded, “The past three months have been dedicated to addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
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