A New York Times columnist wants Arab-Americans frustrated at the Israel-Hamas war to know he shares their pain — but that turning their back on the election and letting former President Donald Trump win will make everything much worse.
The lack of progress on peace in the region, as the U.S. tries to broker ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas but continues to supply weapons to Israel, has led a number of prominent Arab and Muslim leaders to reject the Democratic Party out of anger over President Joe Biden's lack of course correction — and many see Vice President Kamala Harris as complicit.
However, Nicholas Kristof wrote Wednesday night, if this rift leads to Trump getting elected, they will sorely regret it.
"To those so upset about Biden’s policies in the Middle East that they are thinking about voting for Trump, staying home or voting for a third-party candidate — I understand," he wrote. "But don’t allow this anger to elect Trump, for that would amplify the suffering abroad that rightly upsets you. Refusing to vote may seem a noble gesture, but it’s a self-marginalization that could mean even more starving children, even more displacement and even more death."
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Trump has a long history of unquestioningly supporting far-right leadership in Israel, including those leading the war effort, to the extent he even had a settlement named after him in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights. In office, he moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, unilaterally recognizing the divided city as solely Israel's capital. He has called for the war to end but has made no indication of wanting to exact any conditions on Israel, saying instead they should "finish the job," and has even used "Palestinian" as a slur.
Additionally, Kristof reminded readers, "Trump is also the person who instituted the so-called Muslim ban, seeking to block travel to America by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries."
"So by all means weigh Harris’s shortcomings. But remember that this election is not a referendum on one candidate, but a choice between two," he concluded. "If you’re throwing away your vote, don’t envision yourself on a moral mountaintop above the fray, but rather be willing to look into the eye of a woman whose health and life are at risk because of your principles."
