A grassroots movement in Michigan is urging voters to choose “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary election next week, instead of casting their vote for US President Joe Biden, as a way of expressing their dissatisfaction with his policies on the war in Gaza.
The campaign, which was launched by a group called “Listen to Michigan”, aims to send a clear message to Biden that his administration’s unwavering support for Israel‘s military operation against Hamas militants in Gaza, which has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians, will cost him the support of the Arab, Muslim and progressive communities in Michigan, and potentially in other states.
The campaign organizers say that they are not endorsing any other candidate, but rather using their vote as a form of protest and pressure, to make Biden reconsider his stance on the Gaza war, and to adopt a more balanced and humane approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The campaign has gained momentum and popularity in the past few weeks, as the war in Gaza has intensified and sparked outrage and solidarity among many Americans, especially those with ties to the region. The campaign has also received the endorsement of some prominent figures, such as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s 13th district and is the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress, and former congressman Andy Levin, who is Jewish and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Rashida Tlaib
Tlaib, who has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Biden’s policies on Gaza, said that she was proud to join the campaign and to encourage her constituents to vote uncommitted in the primary. She said that she hoped that the campaign would make Biden realize that he was losing the trust and the respect of many voters, who expected him to uphold the values of human rights and democracy, and to stand up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
“We are not asking for much. We are asking for Biden to stop enabling Israel’s war crimes and violations of international law. We are asking for Biden to stop blocking the UN Security Council from calling for a ceasefire and condemning the violence. We are asking for Biden to stop sending billions of dollars of military aid to Israel, while ignoring the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We are asking for Biden to listen to Michigan, and to listen to the voices of justice and peace,” Tlaib said.
Levin, who served in Congress from 2019 to 2021, and who is the nephew of former senator Carl Levin, said that he was supporting the campaign as a way of expressing his disappointment and frustration with Biden’s policies on Gaza, which he said were contrary to the principles and interests of the US and its allies. He said that he believed that Biden had the potential and the responsibility to play a constructive role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to advance a two-state solution that would ensure the security and the sovereignty of both peoples.
“I have always admired and respected Biden as a leader and a friend, but I cannot support his policies on Gaza, which are wrong and harmful. I think that Biden is making a mistake by siding with Israel and ignoring the plight and the aspirations of the Palestinians. I think that Biden is missing an opportunity to show leadership and courage, and to use his influence and leverage to bring an end to the bloodshed and the suffering. I think that Biden should listen to Michigan, and to the millions of Americans who want a fair and peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Levin said.
The campaign organizers say that they are confident that their campaign will have an impact on the primary election, and that they expect a large turnout of voters who will choose uncommitted over Biden. They say that Michigan, which is a key swing state in the presidential election, and which has a sizable and diverse population of Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as progressive and Jewish Americans, who are concerned about the Gaza war, could make a difference in the outcome of the election, and in the future of the US foreign policy.
They say that they hope that their campaign will inspire and empower other voters in other states to follow their example, and to use their vote as a tool of democracy and accountability, and as a way of expressing their solidarity and support for the Palestinian people.
They say that they also hope that their campaign will spark a dialogue and a debate within the Democratic Party, and within the American society, about the US role and responsibility in the Middle East, and about the need for a more balanced and humane approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
They say that they are not anti-Biden, but rather pro-peace, and that they are not giving up on Biden, but rather challenging him to do better, and to live up to his promise of being a president for all Americans, and for all people.
