Obvious Israeli airstrike kills at the very least 18 folks at a mosque in central Gaza

Up to date: 11:53 PM CDT Oct 5, 2024

ON MATTER OF FACT. MONDAY MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE HAMAS LAUNCHED ITS VIOLENT ATTACK ON ISRAEL, INCLUDING KILLING HUNDREDS AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL, AND ISRAEL BEGAN ITS DEADLY RESPONSE. MICHIGAN IS 6000 MILES AWAY FROM THE FIGHTING, YET WHAT’S UNFOLDING IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE PRIMARY CONCERN FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VOTERS IN THAT BATTLEGROUND STATE. MICHIGAN’S ARAB AMERICAN POPULATION TOPS 300,000. THE LARGEST IN THE U.S., AND IN DEARBORN, THAT COMMUNITY IS NOW THE MAJORITY. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN NARROWLY WON MICHIGAN IN 2020, THANKS IN PART TO ARAB AMERICANS VOTING FOR HIM BY ABOUT 70%. WELL, NOW THAT COMMUNITY IS THREATENING TO WITHDRAW ITS SUPPORT FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL TICKET. OUR CORRESPONDENT DINA DEMETRIUS TRAVELED TO DEARBORN TO TALK TO ARAB AMERICAN LEADERS WHO SAY THEY’RE FEELING BACKED INTO A POLITICAL CORNER. FREE, FREE, FREE PALESTINE. FREE FREE FREE PALESTINE. THERE’S GRIEF AND ANGER OVER THE WAR IN GAZA. AT A RALLY OUTSIDE THIS YEAR’S ARABCON. WE DON’T HAVE TO BE SO MUCH ON THE DEFENSIVE INSIDE A DEBATE OVER HOW THAT SHOULD AFFECT ARAB AMERICAN VOTES. WE SHOULD REALLY STRICT STRATEGICALLY IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR VOTE IS NOT WASTED. THERE’S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION IN THE COMMUNITY. AYOUB HEADS THE AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE. REALLY, THEY’RE SICK AND TIRED OF THEIR VOICE AND THEIR VOTE BEING TAKEN FOR GRANTED. DEARBORN IS BEST KNOWN AS THE HOME OF FORD HEADQUARTERS. NOW IT’S ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS ARAB AMERICAN COMMUNITY. FOR DECADES, IT ALIGNED WITH CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS, BUT NINE OVER 11 AND THE WAR ON TERROR SWUNG THE PENDULUM SOLIDLY TO THE DEMOCRATS. OSAMA SIBLANI IS PUBLISHER OF THE ARAB AMERICAN NEWS. WE HAVE SUPPORTED REPUBLICANS. WE HAVE SUPPORTED DEMOCRATS AS WELL. WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW ON THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND EVEN PROBABLY ON THE SENATORIAL LEVEL, WE ARE NOT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE VOTING FOR EITHER A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT. WE PROBABLY WILL NOT VOTE WITH 40,000 GAZANS KILLED. THEY’RE FRUSTRATED WITH THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION’S CONTINUED AID TO ISRAEL, BUT THEY ALSO SEE PERIL IN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS SO-CALLED MUSLIM BAN IN 2017, CREATING A MORAL AND POLITICAL BIND. WE WANT AMERICA TO BE IN GOOD HANDS. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DONALD TRUMP AS A PRESIDENT, AND THAT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT FOR KAMALA HARRIS. DONALD TRUMP IS A THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY. SO HE’S OUT OF THE QUESTION. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE VOTING FOR ANY GENOCIDE THIS NOVEMBER. AND THAT’S THE DIFFICULT SITUATION, RIGHT? WHERE YOU HAVE THE DOMESTIC ISSUES NOW THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND THEIR IMPACT AND THERE IS NO STRAIGHT ANSWER, BUT THE UNDERLYING FEELING IN ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS GENOCIDE IS THE RED LINE. EVERY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE IN GAZA JUST AREN’T PALESTINIANS. THEY’RE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND BESIDES ALL OF THAT, I’M I’M A HUMAN BEING. I’M AN AMERICAN. I DON’T WANT MY TAX DOLLARS BEING USED TO KILL INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THESE LEADERS IN THE UNCOMMITTED NATIONAL MOVEMENT HAVE STAKED OUT A MIDEAST ANTI WAR EFFORT WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY CAMPAIGNED FOR UNCOMMITTED PROTEST VOTES. IT WORKED, AND IT WAS A MESSAGE TO THE TOP OF THE TICKET. WE HAVE GONE TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND WE HAVE SAID WE ARE WILLING TO MOBILIZE OUR VOTERS. WE HAVE TURNED OUT 101,000 VOTERS IN MICHIGAN OVER CLOSE TO A MILLION VOTERS NATIONWIDE. WE ARE WILLING TO MOBILIZE THAT BASE FOR YOU IF YOU ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION AND ACTION THAT SHOWS POLICY CHANGE AND THAT POLICY COULD LOOK LIKE UPHOLDING LEAHY LAW, OUR OWN AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM, IT COULD LOOK LIKE UPHOLDING INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW. WE NEED A FULL ON STOP OF WEAPONS TRANSFERS AND WEAPONS AIDS TO ISRAEL AS THEY ARE CARRYING OUT A COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT OF PALESTINIANS. BUT EVEN WITH 30 DELEGATES AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, THE GROUP SAW NO SIGNALS OF A POLICY SHIFT AND NO PALESTINIANS WERE INVITED TO SPEAK. NOW, UNCOMMITTED HAS WITHHELD AN ENDORSEMENT OF HARRIS WHILE ALSO WARNING AGAINST TRUMP OR A THIRD PARTY THAT COULD HELP HIM WIN. BUT DOESN’T IT ALSO DEPRESS THE VOTE THAT POTENTIALLY COULD PUT TRUMP IN OFFICE TO NOT MOBILIZE ARAB AMERICAN VOTERS HERE IN MICHIGAN, WHERE THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WOULDN’T THAT POTENTIALLY ALSO, ASIDE FROM VOTING FOR WHY ARE WE BLAMING VOTERS FOR THE PARTY NOT DOING ITS JOB AS A CANDIDATE? IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THE VISION THAT YOU ARE PUSHING? AND IF YOU DON’T DO THAT JOB AND PEOPLE DON’T VOTE FOR YOU, THAT IS NO ONE’S FAULT OTHER THAN YOUR OWN. WE UNDERSTAND THE RISK OF NOVEMBER, AND WE’D RATHER NOW SHIFT OUR ENERGY TO GETTING OUR COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S AT RISK AND WHAT’S AT STAKE. WOULD YOU SAY THE ARAB-AMERICAN COMMUNITY FEELS POLITICALLY HOMELESS NOW? I THINK SO. I THINK POLITICALLY HOMELESS IS A GOOD DESCRIPTION. I WILL SAY THIS. I THINK THE THIRD PARTY APPEAL IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. NOT MAYBE NOT IN THIS ELECTION, BUT I THINK IN TWO YEARS AND FOUR YEARS, WHAT DO WE DO ON NOVEMBER SIXTH? THE RESULTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE NOT SURPRISING THAT JILL STEIN IS NOT THERE ANYMORE. WHAT DO WE DO? CAN WE MAKE A STATEMENT WITHOUT HURTING OUR POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT? CAN YOU? I THINK WE CAN. I REALLY DO. IF WE DO NOT VOTE FOR THE PRESIDENT, WE ARE NOT MARGINALIZED. AND I THINK THAT THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, THAT THIS POINT OR ONE POINT, WE CAN EASILY MAKE IT. LET THEM SWEAT IT OUT A LITTLE