No ceasefire in Gaza, no votes, Muslim Americans tell Biden

They claim they will seek to rally millions of Muslim voters to withhold money and votes toward President Joe Biden’s reelection in 2024 if he does not take urgent actions to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza. Muslim Americans and some Democratic Party activists say they will strive to accomplish this.

The National Muslim Democratic Council, which comprises Democratic Party officials from states that are likely to determine the election, such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, has issued a demand on Vice President Biden to use his influence with Israel to negotiate a truce by Tuesday at 2100 GMT, which is 5 p.m. Eastern Time (5 p.m. ET). The deadline for the National Muslim Democratic Council’s request is Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT).

In an open letter titled “2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum,” Muslim leaders committed to organizing Muslim voters to “withhold endorsement, support, or votes for any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people.” This promise was made in a call for a ceasefire in 2023.

“Your administration’s unconditional support, encompassing funding and armaments, has played a significant role in perpetuating the violence that is causing civilian casualties and has eroded trust in voters who previously put their faith in you,” the council stated in its letter.

Keith Ellison, a former member of the United States House of Representatives who is now the attorney general of Minnesota and was the first Muslim elected to Congress, and Andre Carson, a member of the House from Indiana, are the founding co-chairs of this group.

The letter is the latest symptom of rising anger and frustration in Arab and Muslim American communities about Biden’s reluctance to condemn Israel’s assaults on the Gaza Strip after an offensive on October 7 by Hamas terrorists from Gaza that Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people and seized 239 hostages. The letter is the latest sign of growing anger and frustration in Arab and Muslim American communities regarding Biden’s failure to denounce Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, medical officials in Gaza reported that 8,306 individuals, including 3,457 children, had been killed as a result of Israel’s air and military attack that has been going on for three weeks.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, made it clear on Monday that he would not consent to any suspension of Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Homeland Security, stated that “Hamas is the only one that would gain from that right now.”

On Monday, Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American politician from Minnesota, uploaded a 90-second video on X, the social networking site once known as Twitter. In the video, she condemned Vice President Joe Biden for his support of what she referred to as “Israel’s genocidal campaign in Palestine,” adding, “Don’t count on our vote in 2024.”

Noting that Michigan’s 16 electoral votes were won by a small margin of just 2.6% in 2020, Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento Valley Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), claimed that Muslim votes might be vital for Biden in his 2024 attempt for a second term. Elkarra made this statement because a narrow margin won the state of Michigan.

The Muslim American community in Minnesota, where Vice President Biden wants to visit on Wednesday, issued a similar ceasefire request last week, with a deadline of noon on Tuesday. They stated that they intended to have a demonstration on Wednesday, which was the day when the president would be visiting their state.

The reelection campaign for Biden did not immediately provide a reaction.

An official from the White House claimed that Vice President Biden met with a small group of Muslim leaders the previous Thursday. The person also said that administration officials continue to meet with Arab and Muslim community members who are worried about Biden’s handling of the problem.

Even though he identifies as a Zionist, Vice President Joe Biden has selected a more significant number of Arab Americans and Muslims for political roles than any other president in history, in addition to the first two Muslim judges on the federal bench.

According to Jaylani Hussein, who serves as the executive director of CAIR in Minnesota, Muslim American activists in other disputed states essential to Joe Biden’s reelection in 2024 would make similar requests.

“We expect Wisconsin, Ohio and other states to do the same this week,” according to Hussein.

In 2024, Hussein stated that he had no choice but to vote against Biden until the latter called for an end to the conflict. He said he was speaking as himself and not on behalf of CAIR in his remarks.

According to Hussein, over seventy percent of Muslim Americans supported Biden for president in 2020.

Community leaders who identify as Muslim in the United States of America in the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin did not reply promptly to calls for comment.

According to Ahmet Tekelioglu, the executive director of CAIR in Philadelphia, Muslim Americans in the state are demanding an immediate ceasefire; however, he was unaware of any preparations to establish a timeframe for this demand.