A pro-Palestine group in Michigan’s primary election has announced that it will not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, despite urging voters to reject former President Donald Trump. The Uncommitted National Movement, which originated in Michigan, stated that Harris’s refusal to change her stance on unconditional weapons policy and her failure to make a clear campaign statement supporting existing U.S. and international human rights law made it impossible for them to endorse her.
The group also expressed opposition to a Trump presidency due to his plans of increasing violence in Gaza and suppressing anti-war organizing. They are urging their supporters not to vote for third-party candidates as they see it as a path leading to a Trump victory.
The pro-Palestine group is frustrated with Harris for not responding by their self-imposed September 15 deadline regarding meetings with Palestinian American families who have lost loved ones during the Israel-Hamas war or discussing plans to block arms shipments to Israel. They had also pushed for a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August, but this request was denied.
Michigan is considered a critical battleground state in the race for the Electoral College. While it was previously part of the “blue wall” of states leaning towards Democrats, Trump won Michigan by approximately 10,000 votes in 2016. However, Joe Biden managed to win back the state in 2020 with a margin of over 2 percent.
In February, cracks appeared within Democratic support when over 100,000 people cast “uncommitted” votes against Biden during Michigan’s presidential primary as a protest against his military and humanitarian support for Israel. The state has one of the largest populations of Arab American voters. This “uncommitted” campaign continued throughout other states during the 2024 presidential primary cycle.
Although Harris has shown empathy towards Palestinians in Gaza recently, she remains committed to Biden’s foreign policies and supports Israel’s ability to defend itself while advocating for hostage and cease-fire agreements.
this pro-Palestine group based in Michigan refuses to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris due to disagreements on weapons policy and human rights issues while simultaneously opposing former President Donald Trump’s agenda.
