DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Of the thousands of delegates expected to gather Monday at the Democratic National Convention, just will belong to the sparked by dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
But that small core has .
Anger over U.S. backing for Israel鈥檚 offensive in Gaza could generate unwelcome images for convention organizers, with raucous protests expected outside and potentially where Harris will accept the nomination Thursday.
Top Democrats have meeting with "uncommitted" voters and their allies 鈥� including a previously unreported sit-down between Vice President Kamala Harris and the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan 鈥� in an effort to respond to criticism in key swing states like Michigan, which has a significant Arab American population.
Weeks of meetings and calls between pro-Palestinian activists and the Harris campaign have yielded progress in some areas, but their core policy demands remain unmet. The activists want Harris to endorse an arms embargo to Israel and a permanent cease-fire. Harris has supported Biden's negotiations for a cease-fire but rejected an arms embargo.
Rima Mohammad, one of Michigan鈥檚 two 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� delegates, said she sees the convention as a chance to share their movement's concerns with the party leadership.
鈥淚t is a way for protesters outside to be able to share their frustration with the party," she said.
The Democratic nominee meets a key Arab American mayor
Questions remain about the leverage 鈥渦ncommitted" voters hold now that Biden has stepped aside and Harris has taken his place. Democrats have seen a significant for Harris鈥� campaign and concerns about voter apathy in key areas, such as Detroit鈥檚 large Black population, appear to have diminished.
But Harris and her team have still made communication with Arab American leaders a priority.
During a campaign last week, Harris met with Abdullah Hammoud, the 34-year-old mayor of Dearborn, a Detroit suburb that has the largest number of Arab Americans of any city in the United States. The meeting was disclosed by a person who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The person familiar with the meeting did not provide specific details but said the focus was on Harris鈥� potential policy, if elected, on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Hammoud declined to comment.
鈥淰ice President Harris supports the deals currently on the table for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and for the release of hostages,鈥� her campaign said in a statement. 鈥淪he will continue to meet with leaders from Palestinian, Muslim, Israeli and Jewish communities, as she has throughout her vice presidency.鈥�
According to a source familiar with convention planning, two panel discussions will take place during the convention in Chicago: one addressing Arab and Palestinian issues with leaders from the 鈥淯ncommitted鈥� movement, and another focused on Jewish American issues, including the rise in antisemitism and hate speech.
Campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez on Thursday held separate one-on-one meetings with leaders in the Arab American community and 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� movement in metro Detroit.
鈥淭hey are listening and we are talking,鈥� said Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News, who met with Chavez Rodriguez. 鈥淏ut none of us can garner votes in the community without public statements from Harris. She doesn鈥檛 need us; she can win over votes by saying and doing the right thing.鈥�
According to Siblani, Chavez Rodriguez agreed that 鈥渢he killing has to stop.鈥� In response, Siblani said he pressed: 鈥淗ow? There is no plan.鈥�
Lavora Barnes, the Democratic chair in Michigan, said the party would "continue working toward our goal of coming together to defeat Donald Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot.鈥�
鈥淲e are committed to continuing these conversations with community leaders, activists and organizations because we want to ensure that everyone in the Michigan Democratic Party has a seat at the table,鈥� Barnes said in a statement.
No agreement on an arms embargo
Some on the Democratic Party鈥檚 left have called for including a moratorium on the use of U.S.-made weapons by Israel in the platform of policy goals that will be approved during next week鈥檚 convention. But such language isn鈥檛 included in a draft platform party officials released earlier this summer, and it鈥檚 unlikely that those close to Harris鈥� campaign would endorse including it.
The Uncommitted National Movement has also requested a speaking slot at the convention for a doctor who has worked on the frontlines in Gaza, along with a leader of the movement. And they have asked for a meeting with Harris 鈥渢o discuss updating the Gaza policy in hopes of stopping the flow of unconditional weapons and bombs鈥� to Israel, said Abbas Alawieh, another 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� delegate from Michigan and one of the founders of the movement.
Before a Harris rally just outside Detroit last week, Alawieh and Layla Elabed, co-founders of the movement, briefly met with the vice president. They requested a formal meeting with Harris and urged her to support an embargo on weapons shipments to Israel. According to them, Harris seemed open to the idea of meeting.
However, shortly after news of the meeting became public, Harris鈥� national security adviser Phil Gordon reaffirmed that she does not support an arms embargo. Alawieh mentioned Wednesday that the group has not received any further response from Harris鈥� team or the DNC regarding their requests ahead of the convention.
Since then, leaders of the 鈥淯ncommitted鈥� movement have met with senior staff from the DNC and the Harris campaign to discuss their requests.
鈥淚 hope she doesn鈥檛 miss the opportunity to unite the party," said Alawieh.
The Trump campaign continues its outreach
Elsewhere in metro Detroit this week, Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump鈥檚 youngest daughter and now a leader in his , was holding meetings with various community groups. Boulos has come to Michigan often for the outreach, along with Arab Americans for Trump chair Bishara Bahbah.
According to Bahbah, their pitch highlights the situation in Gaza under Biden鈥檚 administration and a promise from Trump鈥檚 team to give the community a seat at the table if he wins.
鈥淲e have been told by the Trump circle, which is not part of the campaign, that in return for our votes, there would be a seat at the table and a voice to be heard,鈥� said Bahbah.
But any apparent political opportunity for Trump in the Arab American community or the 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� movement may be limited by his past remarks and policies.
Many Arabs remain offended by Trump鈥檚 ban, while in office, on as well as remarks they consider insulting. Trump also has criticized Biden for not being a strong enough supporter of Israel.
Speaking to an audience of Jewish supporters Thursday, Trump painted the protesters expected in Chicago as antisemitic and invoked an Arabic term that is sometimes used by Muslims to mean war or struggle.
鈥淭here will be no jihad coming to America under Trump," he said.
But Bahbah acknowledges that his and Boulos鈥� strategy isn鈥檛 necessarily aimed at converting voters to support Trump 鈥� but to stop them from voting for Harris.
鈥淚f I can鈥檛 convince people to vote for Trump, having them sit at home is better," said Bahbah.
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Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press
