(WXYZ) — With Michigan's primary elections set to take place on February 27th, folks have already started to head to the polls to choose their party's preferred nominees for the November ballot.
However, this time, eyes are on Arab Americans' votes and how their perception of the Israel-Hamas war could tip the scales.
We're taking a deeper look at how Michigan's results will give presidential candidates a taste of what to expect during the upcoming race for the White House.
30-year-old Mike Hacham owns several businesses across metro Detroit. Simone's store in Detroit is one of them.
Mike was born and raised in Michigan, but his family originates from Lebanon, making the Israel-Hamas war personal.
"When you wake up every day, social media, on the news, getting phone calls from your loved ones at home, whether it's from Palestine or Lebanon saying they don't feel safe from Israeli attacks, that our own leader here in America, Joe Biden, can't put his foot down and pressure the state of Israel to ceasefire," Hacham explains.
Since the start of the war, President Joe Biden has stated his unequivocal support for Israel by approving over $250 million in military aid. CNN data shows to date the conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 Israelis and 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
“I mean, Joe Biden is now Genocide Joe,” he added.
That's why Detroit-based activist Lexis Zeidan and a local Senior Democratic Strategist Abbas Alawieh are pushing for the 'Listen to Michigan' campaign, calling for Michiganders to stand in solidarity and 'Vote Uncommitted' during the February 27th primary.
"As our president continues to feed empty rhetoric, telling us he cares about fighting Islamophobia on one hand, while funding the mass killing of Muslims and Palestinians on the other, it feels deeply hypocritical," Alawieh says.
"Arab Americans play a key role on how the state swings, and this is why they are really feeling the fire right now," says Zeidan.
"If President Biden isn't concerned with the state of play in Michigan, he should fire his advisors," says Dave Dulio, political science professor at Oakland University.
Dulio says in 2020, President Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes. There are more than 300,000 Arab Americans who call Michigan home.
"In some ways, he is painted into a corner," says Dulio. "We've got great evidence that is angering and turning off Arab American voters. But if he changes course there is no guarantee that they all come back, and at the same time, other Democratic voters may question their support for Arab American voters."
Last month, the Biden Administration tried to engage with the community. However, the nearly two dozen invited community leaders unanimously turned down the meeting, stating they were uninterested in discussing important matters with the president's campaign manager.
But on February 8th another round of meetings were scheduled, but this time it was with Biden's top aides. While some leaders refused to entertain the request, notable Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani met with 9 White House senior officials at his office in Dearborn.
"Very disappointed that the meeting was wasted. Everything we asked for actually nothing happened," is what Siblani says now.
"Did you get a sense from the meeting that they even care about Arab American votes?" we asked.
"Yes, they do, they do care, but apparently the higher up in the Administration is not listening. The President is not listening. The Secretary of State is not listening," Siblani says.
"How hurt is the Arab American community right now?" we asked.
"We are very hurt, you know we voted for this president and for Democratic senators in 2018 and 2020. We gave Joe Biden 70% of our votes, and this is what we are getting back," Siblani says.
"Him calling for a ceasefire isn't a noble thing to do. It's the right thing to do that. And it's taken you 30,000 lives lost to make a budget; for me, you've lost my vote completely," says Zeidan.
In a likely Trump vs Biden rematch, a recent CNN poll reveals fifty percent of Michigan voters support Trump, 40 percent favor Biden, and 10 percent say they wouldn't choose either candidate.
"Arab Americans don't vote for Biden and Trump wins, do you see that as a solution?" we asked.
"I can't say under Trump's administration it would be a better option. But the decisions that Biden is making is exactly what will put Trump back in office," says Zeidan.
Implementing a Muslim ban and recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Israel were some of the many policies Trump enforced during his presidency that hurt the community.
"I not only survived war myself when I was a child, but I'm also a survivor of the white supremacist January 6th attack on our Capital. I was in the building. So, no one can tell me how dangerous Donald Trump is," says Alawieh.
But Mike sees things differently.
"This election season you are going to vote for Trump?" we asked.
"Absolutely. Trump will tell you to your face what things are going to be. We don't need a liar in the office," says Hacham.
"Is the war in Gaza the only policy that's of concern right now for the ones who are not choosing to vote for President Biden?" we asked Dulio.
"When we think about the other issues that are really important right now, the economy is one, immigration and the situation at the southern border is another, and I think Democrats, rather than pointing at the president, if they are angry about those issues, they will point at the president," he says.
Now I reached out to the Biden administration, asking them how they plan to address the concerns presented by the Arab and Muslim Michiganders, but so far, I've yet to hear back.
It's also important to note that this report was shot over a few days. Throughout the process, I didn't come across anyone from the community who plans to vote for President Biden regardless of the war in Gaza. However, most remain determined to vote uncommitted.
