Arab-American PAC on its refusal to endorse Kamala Harris: ‘We don’t have a seat around the table’
The Arab-American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) has announced its decision to withhold endorsements for both Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. This decision marks the first time AAPAC has chosen not to endorse a candidate since its inception in 1998.
AAPAC members met on Sunday to decide on their endorsement and debated for a long time. They concluded that both candidates “compete to please and support the Israeli government,” and that neither represents the hopes and dreams of Arab Americans. The group cited the candidates’ blind support for Israel in wars in Gaza and Lebanon as a major reason for their decision.
AAPAC’s statement emphasized that by not voting for either candidate, they are making a powerful statement and sending a clear message: they refuse to endorse candidates who do not care about their concerns, continue to divide America, and are complicit in an active genocide. The organization also declined to endorse a candidate for Michigan’s Senate seat, labeling both Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers as “warmongers” who do not deserve their vote.
Osama Siblani, co-founder of AAPAC, explained during a CNN interview that the group feels ignored by both candidates. He stated, “We’ve interviewed Kamala Harris, we’ve interviewed people from this campaign, and they said we will have a seat around the table. We don’t have a seat around the table. We don’t have a seat in the room. We don’t have a seat in the building, in the neighborhood, in the city, in the country”. This sentiment reflects the broader concerns within the Arab-American community regarding the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
