• In an unexpected move, Washington sends a signal of disapproval to extremist Israeli settlers
• How Biden’s ineptitude to call for a ceasefire has already cost him a great deal of Muslim voters
As the bombardment of Gaza reaches its 62nd day with the death count topping 16015, it becomes even more evident that the Palestinian suffering is not worth the importance of the western media establishment. After the so-called humanitarian pause ended, the vast majority of mainstream cable news channels either coincidentally or coercively put the suffering of the Palestinian people as sub-stories or removed them entirely from their front pages. The complicity of certain influential powers and institutions does not always come in the form of supporting the oppressor, but rather by intentionally turning a blind eye to the suffering of the oppressed. In this stage of this genocide, it’s more of the latter. Yet at an unexpected turn of events, Washington has for the first time shown that they are willing to take action against the extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been expanding illegally into Palestinian territory.
What did Biden’s administration say?
The Secretary of State of the United States, Anthony Blinken, has said, “We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.” He later announced a “visa restriction policy targeting individuals who have been determined as undermining peace”. Although he did not announce individuals who would have the visa bans or share any information on when such a thing would be implemented, officials said those individual names would be coming this week and could affect dozens of families.
It must be noted that in no way does this mean the US is starting to show solidarity or sympathy to the Palestinian people enduring genocide in Gaza, as the West Bank is 57.9 miles away from Gaza and occupied and run by a completely different set of government and leaders. It is undoubtedly true, however, that the settler expansion in the West Bank has increased significantly since October 7th, with 260 Palestinians killed and 3600 injured. So why, as it happened, is it that, as the western mainstream media seems to be turning away from the Gaza genocide, the US administration felt compelled to act regarding the Palestinian suffering in the West Bank? The answer to that question may very well be because of a tingle of fear for President Biden in the upcoming US presidential election.
How the Muslim population of America may have contributed to this action
It was on October 31st that Minnesota Muslim Americans demanded Biden call for a ceasefire. It was on October 31st that their request met no avail, and as a response, it was on October 31st that the #AbandonBiden campaign was launched. A campaign has spread to five US states, four of which had previously very narrowly voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election. Michigan is one of those states, and Biden only secured a narrow margin in 2020 with 2.4% of the votes. Yet Arab-Americans constitute 5% of the votes in Michigan. In 2020, the majority of Arab Americans wanted President Biden to be elected; however, according to recent polls, that has now dropped to a shocking 17%.
With presidential elections set to take place in November this year and Donald Trump expected to be the main opposition candidate, who at the moment is only 1% below President Biden on the opinion polls, it is safe to say that Biden fears he may not just lose his Muslim base supporters but also the young generation, who are far more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. This would be a significant chunk of Biden’s core votes. However, whether this #AbandonBiden trend will encapsulate the wider Muslim vote with the younger population is yet to be known.
Will Muslim voters swing for Trump?
According to Al Jazeera, Muslim Americans said they do not expect former President Donald Trump to treat their community any better if he were to be re-elected but saw denying Biden votes as their only means to shape US policy. There are many other parties and candidates in the upcoming race for president, but unfortunately, US institutions and media mainly give air and coverage to the two traditional rival parties, which are Democrats and Republicans. It is also important to note that private donors are a key requirement for a political party in America to truly get the publicity and funding required to even their chances on the playing field. Sadly, very rarely are there ever any private donors supporting independent candidates that do not align with the two main traditional parties. This means that although opinion polls in America have shown that people are more enticed by the idea of a new political party forming, it is a long way away because of the lack of private funding. It also means that although Muslim voters have independent candidates to vote for, it may not be tempting because they know the chances of them winning are extremely unlikely.
However, as the genocide continues and the west continues to support and fund the mass slaughter, it may only be a matter of time until the vast majority of the Muslim population and the young voters of the US decide to not vote at all to send a strong message to Biden and his administration. If this happens, it’s likely Biden will drastically weaken his chances of winning the upcoming election. Time will tell if the power of the Muslim and young vote will pay off in the US, and if it does, it will send a very powerful signal to any upcoming US president who both supports and chooses not to stop a genocide.
