By Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Community organizers and Democratic elected officials on Tuesday urged Democrats to cast an “uncommitted” vote in Michigan’s Feb. 27 Democratic nominating contest to protest President Joe Biden not calling for a permanent ceasefire in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
The “Listen to Michigan” campaign aims to encourage Democrats and independent voters across the battleground state, with sizable numbers of Arab and Muslim residents, to protest Biden’s handling of the crisis in the Middle East.
Layla Elabed, a Palestinian-American community organizer and the younger sister of U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, said the effort was focused on the primary election for now, unlike the nationwide Abandon Biden campaign that is urging voters to pick “anybody but Biden” in November’s general election. Biden is expected to face a rematch with Republican former President Donald Trump.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud will join the initiative, along with faith leaders and other community leaders, she said. Hammoud and other Arab-American leaders skipped a meeting last month with Biden’s campaign manager, demanding dialogue over the administration’s policy, not electoral politics.
Biden’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the new campaign. Michigan is among the seven states his campaign considers an election battleground because their voters’ preferences could swing to either party and determine the outcome of November’s race.
Biden visited the Midwestern state last week, winning a pledge of support from union autoworkers crucial to his reelection bid in Michigan, while protests over his backing of Israel’s actions in Gaza shadowed the trip. His candidacy for the Democratic nomination does not face serious competition.
The “Listen to Michigan” campaign’s website, with graphics in the colors of the Palestinian flag, offers detailed instructions on how to register to vote and cast an “uncommitted” ballot.
The “uncommitted” vote was used by then-candidate Barack Obama to win momentum in Michigan in 2008 after Michigan Democrats violated Democratic National Committee rules by moving the state’s primary in the nominating calendar, and Obama and other Democrats stayed off the ballot.
Elabed, who said she voted for Biden in 2020, told Reuters the campaign was aimed at spurring a dialogue with him, but stressed that even calling for a ceasefire and ending military aid to Israel would not guarantee the votes of the 80% of Michigan Democrats who now back a ceasefire.
“It means that we can start to have a conversation. It means that we can have some confidence that … we’re not on the back burner … and that our grievances and our rally cry to end the genocide are heard and taken seriously.”
The World Court late last month, ruling on a case brought by South Africa, ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide, but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the charge of genocide leveled against Israel was “outrageous,” and said it would do whatever is necessary to defend itself.
Biden has faced criticism and protests in Dearborn, which is 54% Arab American, and from anti-war voices around the country for his support for Israel’s operations in Gaza.
The latest Middle East war erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people. Israel has since assaulted Hamas-governed Gaza, killing over 27,500 people, according to the local health ministry. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is displaced. The densely populated enclave also faces starvation.
Biden aides have said a broad ceasefire now would benefit Hamas, but the administration has called for more limited halts in fighting to allow for the release of hostages taken by Hamas and the distribution of aid to Gaza residents.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt)
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