Former US President Donald Trump is trying to win the support of Arab American and Muslim voters who are disaffected and angry about Israel and Gaza policies. That's why Trump invited some Muslim leaders on stage with him at a campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday (October 27). The American media reported on CNN.
“They can swing the vote one way or the other,” Trump said at a rally in Novi, a Detroit suburb near Dearborn. Dearborn was declared the first Arab majority city in the United States last year.
Trump said in his speech that he had a meeting with Muslim leaders today. He was joined on stage by prominent leaders of the Muslim community in Michigan. One of these leaders, Imam Bilal Al-Zuhairy, described Trump as a candidate for peace.
“We Muslims are with President Trump because he has promised peace – not war,” Al Zuhairi said.
He added, 'We are supporting Donald Trump because he has promised to end the war in the Middle East and Ukraine.'
Trump has even publicly criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza war to garner Muslim support. Said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military must finish the job quickly.
He also criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for not giving enough support to Israel. However, the current administration has largely avoided criticism of Israel and has not considered cutting off arms supplies to the country.
In 2017, in his first month as president, Trump issued a travel ban for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. The seven major Muslim countries are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. He banned the citizens of these countries from entering the United States for 90 days.
The order also bans Syrian refugees indefinitely and freezes the entry of all refugees for four months. The travel ban was partially upheld after a lengthy court battle. However, Biden rescinded these orders shortly after taking the oath of office in 2021.
Trump's campaign has sought to capitalize on anger among Arab Americans and Muslims over continued US support for the Gaza war and, more recently, Israel's military operations in Lebanon. They criticized Biden and Harris, saying Trump would be able to bring peace and claiming Democrats are not giving enough support to Israel supporters.
But Harris, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza to gain support from Muslim voters, has said he favors a two-state solution.
At a brief meeting in Flint, Arab American leaders urged Kamala to express a somewhat different perspective from the policies of the Biden administration.
Hours later, during a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Harris was interrupted early in his speech. “No more Gaza war,” shouted one protester.
