# The Global Story: They were loyal Democrats. Then came Gaza - Show: Global News Podcast - Published: 2026-10-26 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/135067274_3fbb20ae7a40.html - Audio: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0pj7lrp.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. With roughly two weeks to go before the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the Gaza conflict is driving a Democratic exodus among Arab American voters in Michigan — the state with the highest proportion of Arab Americans in the country. Longtime Democrats have been voting for Trump or publicly condemning the party, rattling the electoral coalition in a pivotal swing state. BBC reporter Asma Khalid traveled to Michigan to hear directly from voters on the ground. ## What this episode answers ### Why has Gaza become an unusual flashpoint in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections? Midterms normally center on domestic issues like the economy and cost of living, but continued U.S. military aid to Israel has emerged as a litmus test for some voters; this is especially pronounced in Michigan, which has the highest proportion of Arab Americans of any state. ### Who are the main candidates in Michigan's Senate race, and where does each stand on Israel policy? Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is an Arab Muslim public-health expert who has repeatedly called events in Gaza a 'genocide' and strongly opposes military aid to Israel; Republican Mike Rogers is a former congressman backed by Donald Trump who argues that supporting Israel is directly tied to U.S. national security. ### What was the 'Uncommitted Movement,' what did it set out to achieve, and what were its results? Launched ahead of the 2024 presidential primary by Abbas Al-Awia to protest the Biden administration's Gaza policy, the movement encouraged voters to select the 'uncommitted' option on Democratic primary ballots, collecting more than 100,000 votes in Michigan alone; party leadership ignored the protest, and Palestinian Americans were denied a speaking slot at the Chicago Democratic National Convention. ### What actions did Arab American voters take in response to their disillusionment with the Democratic Party? Samra Lukman voted for Trump and actively campaigned for him at mosques; Amr Zaher compared his 2020 Biden vote to eating a ham sandwich in the desert but implied he made a different choice this time, with other voters opting to abstain or back third-party candidates. ### What risk does this political fracture pose to the Democratic Party? Arab Americans who were once a reliable Democratic constituency are shifting toward Trump or third-party candidates in the swing state of Michigan, making the erosion of the Democratic base a concrete electoral risk. ## Article ## Gaza Shakes Michigan With about two weeks until the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the Israeli-Gaza conflict has become an unexpected political fault line in Michigan. Midterms typically revolve around domestic concerns — the economy, the cost of living — but American military aid to Israel has surfaced as a decisive test for a segment of the electorate. Michigan is home to the largest proportion of Arab Americans of any state in the country, and it also has a sizable community of pro-Israel Jewish Democrats, making the clash particularly sharp here. BBC reporter Asma Khalid described the state as 'the place where the world and America intersect.' ## Two Senate Candidates, Two Opposing Visions The state's U.S. Senate race features two sharply contrasting figures. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is an Arab Muslim and public-health expert; if elected, he would become the first Muslim senator in U.S. history. He has repeatedly described what is happening in Gaza as a 'genocide' and is a vocal opponent of military aid to Israel. (Israel disputes that characterization; the matter is currently before the International Court of Justice, and no ruling has been issued.) Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman and Trump ally, argues that supporting Israel is inseparable from American national security and backs the continuation of military assistance. A debate exchange between the two candidates captured the intensity of the dispute. When a moderator asked El-Sayed whether he would supply Israel with defensive weapons if it came under attack, he answered that he did not want American tax dollars used to purchase weapons for a foreign country. Rogers shot back, asking whether El-Sayed would not even support a missile-defense system like the Iron Dome. ## The Uncommitted Movement: Birth and Frustration The roots of this rupture reach back to the 2024 presidential election. Voters disillusioned with the Biden administration's Gaza policy, led by Abbas Al-Awia, launched the 'Uncommitted Movement.' The strategy was simple: in the Democratic primary, select the 'uncommitted' option on the ballot as a signal of protest. The effort drew more than 100,000 votes in Michigan alone — and was promptly ignored by party leadership. By the time of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August — at which point Kamala Harris had replaced Biden as the nominee — Palestinian Americans had been requesting a speaking slot from the podium for months. That request was denied. Abbas spent the night of the convention protesting outside the hall, describing the experience as 'deliberate silence and exclusion by our own party.' He ultimately endorsed Harris, concluding she was preferable to Trump, but that decision drew fierce criticism from within the Arab American community. ## The Voters Who Left The most striking testimony in the reporting came from Samra Lukman (サムラ・ルクマン). 'I felt betrayed,' she said. 'I had been a Democrat my whole life.' She voted for Trump in the last presidential race and went further — canvassing at mosques on his behalf. 'I didn't think Trump would bring peace to the Middle East,' she reflected. 'But Harris said she would not change course — not even one percent. I bet on the side that had at least a one-percent chance.' She gave some credit to the ceasefires that materialized after Trump took office, while keeping her expectations limited. Amr Zaher (アムル・ザーハル) offered a pointed metaphor for his 2020 Biden vote: eating a ham sandwich in the desert when there is nothing else to eat. (In Islam, pork is prohibited, but religious law permits it in life-or-death circumstances — hence the analogy.) In 2020, he said, he ate the sandwich. The implication was clear: in 2026, he was not making that same compromise. Other Arab American voters described choosing to abstain entirely or to support third-party candidates rather than back either major party. ## Takeaways - Gaza has again become an unlikely flashpoint in the 2026 U.S. midterms, with Arab American voters in Michigan continuing to break from the Democratic Party. - The Uncommitted Movement gathered more than 100,000 votes in Michigan, yet party leadership ignored it and denied Palestinian Americans a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention. - Voters like Samra Lukman — who voted for Trump and campaigned for him at mosques — embody a 'one-percent chance' calculation that has turned lifelong Democrats into active Republican supporters.