The Arab American Political Action Committee announced that it will not support Kamala Harris, the US Vice President, and Democratic presidential candidate, or her rival, former Republican President Donald Trump, in the upcoming presidential election, attributing this to their “blind support” for Israel in the Gaza and Lebanon wars.
“Both candidates have supported the genocide in Gaza and the war in Lebanon,” the committee said in a statement on Monday. “We simply cannot give our votes to either Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, who blindly support the criminal Israeli government.”
The November 5 election will be the first time the Arab American Political Action Committee has chosen not to endorse a candidate since its founding in 1998. The committee usually supports Democrats.
Polls show the race between Harris and Trump is close.
Trump has not enjoyed much support from this community due to his past statements and his policy of imposing a travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries when he was president. He is also an outspoken supporter of Israel, like Kamla Harris and Joe Biden.
Analysts said Harris’s chances in the election could be damaged if Arab and Muslim Americans do not vote for her or vote for a third candidate.
Many in these communities have lost relatives in Gaza and Lebanon and have urged against voting for Trump or Harris. Some, like Emgage Action, a Muslim-American advocacy group, have backed Harris, saying they see Trump as a greater threat.