US Muslim leaders plan to 'Abandon Biden' in 2024 US election over Gaza stance

US Muslim leaders have announced their plans for a nationwide campaign to vote out US president Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential elections. 

The recently launched #AbandonBiden campaign says on its website that the Biden administration's “failure” to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip prompted community leaders to take action. 

The campaign ambitiously aims to tackle Biden in all 50 states, as it said that organisers had begun rallying in October in nine swing states, including as Nevada, Minnesota, Arizona and Wisconsin.  

“Biden’s abandoning of Muslim Americans compels Muslim leaders to abandon Biden,” the statement read. 

“As the new year approaches, Muslim American leaders call for peace in America, the Muslim world, and people worldwide.” 

Urging a “sweeping strategy to ensure Biden’s election loss”, the campaign expressed its disappointment in Biden, particularly following the Muslim turnout for him in his 2020 presidential campaign. 

Associated Press exit polls showed 64% of Muslims voted for Joe Biden, in comparison to 35% for Trump. 

Muslim organisers previously stressed that Muslim voters were essential for gathering Biden support in red state Florida. He also secured wins in Pennsylvania and Michigan where there are high number of Muslim voters. 

Wa’el Alzayat, the CEO of Emgage, the country’s largest Muslim-led group focused on expanding a Muslim American voter base, warned in October that dwindling support from Muslim Americans in the 2024 election may affect Biden’s chances of a reelection. 

“It literally may dissuade enough voters to sit back in the next election and watch Donald Trump control the presidency, watch the Republicans control the Congress and also know that conservatives will have control of the Supreme Court,” Alzayat told US news publication NBC News. 

“The sad thing about it is those who truly care about democracy did this to themselves by their mismanagement of this issue.”  

US and Israeli officials have rebuffed pressure for a permanent halt in fighting, with President Biden consistently reaffirming his support for Israel alleged "right to defend itself". 

On Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. CDT, prominent Muslim leaders nationwide will unite for a significant national convention in Chicago, Illinois, to launch a 50-state #AbandonBiden campaign following months of Biden's material support of genocide. https://t.co/oduFHsan0J pic.twitter.com/nA1j9tnGOK

— Alexandra Halaby🇵🇸 (@iskandrah) December 30, 2023

Even as the White House aimed to combat Islamophobia amid alarmingly high rates, particularly after the killing of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume, Muslim Americans have voiced their concerns on the lack of  protection for Muslim and Arab communities. 

Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, was voted by the House of Representatives to be censured last month for her pro-Palestine stance.

The United States has since publicly urged Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza amid the rising death toll from the conflict.  

However, Washington has also supported Israel's war effort, announcing a $147.5 million sale of 155mm artillery munitions to Israel on Friday. 

The requirement for a review of the sale by Congress was bypassed.

Israel has carried out a brutal campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 21,507 people, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the besieged territory. 

The civilian deaths and the destruction in Gaza have caused growing international outrage, and the United States' international image has taken a beating over its staunch support for ISrael.