Frustrated with President Biden’s support for Israel, Bishara Bahbah, Ph.D., founded Arab Americans for Trump to rally support for former President Trump in Michigan and Arizona.

“The Arab and Muslim American communities will not, in any way, form or shape, ever vote for Biden,” Bahbah said. “Biden is complicit in the genocide against our people in Gaza, and he will never be forgiven for the 37,000 people that have already been killed and the 87,000 that have been injured.”

He said the community needs to work with Trump because “undecided” or third party candidate votes historically won’t win an election.

“Voting ‘undecided’ or for third parties makes us feel good in terms of not voting for either candidate, but at the same time, there’s nowhere where we can cash the benefits of that vote,” Bahbah said. “‘Undecided’ votes have historically not been able to win a presidency… From my perspective, we just wasted our vote, so the only alternative that we have is really to work with the Trump campaign and help elect Trump.”

ABE-PAC is another new Arab American support group for Trump. ABE-PAC Founder Oubai Shahbandar and Bahbah coordinated the PAC’s first meeting in Troy, Michigan, which featured Richard Grenell, Trump’s former director of National Intelligence, and Massad Boulous and his son Michael, who is married to Trump’s daughter.

Bahbah said as of now the relationship between Arab Americans for Trump and the former president has mainly been mediated between Grenell and Boulos.

During the June 27 presidential candidate debate, Trump called Biden “a bad Palestinian.” We view that as a demeaning and derogatory remark and totally unacceptable. We have asked that the (former) president or his campaign issue a statement that clarifies he has no disrespect to the Palestinian people, that he is genuinely intent on bringing about peace between Israel and Palestine leading to a two-state solution. – Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Trump

With Israel’s war on Gaza being a top concern for Arab and Muslim voters, Bahbah said he and other Arab Trump supporters are demanding Trump’s support for a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the start of a two-state solution.

Trump posted on his platform Truth Social on June 4, saying he would create peace if elected.

“We HAD Peace in the Middle East, and we can have it again, but it won’t be with Joe Biden in office,” the post on Truth Social read. “NO NEW WARS WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT – A FIRST IN MODERN HISTORY! NO MORE WARS. NO MORE TERROR. NO MORE CIVILIANS DYING. NONE OF THIS SHOULD EVER HAVE HAPPENED… I will fix his mess, and bring Peace to ALL Parties once again, and we’ll get it done FAST!”

“The way we interpreted that was as ending the war in Gaza,” Bahbah said. “This (June 4) statement was issued after our first meeting with the Trump camp (people close to Trump). He also says in it no more civilians dying. And this is a quote, and we interpreted that as an end to the killing of civilians in Gaza. He also pledged to ‘fix Biden’s mess’ and ‘bring peace to all parties.’ We interpreted that as a pledge to bring peace to the Palestinian people.”

During the June 27 presidential candidate debate, Trump called Biden “a bad Palestinian.” Bahbah said his group does not accept that from Trump and is trying to get him to issue an apology.

“We view that as a demeaning and derogatory remark and totally unacceptable,” Bahbah said. “We have asked that the (former) president or his campaign issue a statement that clarifies he has no disrespect to the Palestinian people, that he is genuinely intent on bringing about peace between Israel and Palestine leading to a two-state solution.”

During Trump’s presidency, the idea of a “Muslim ban” circulated in the country. Bahbah said Arab Americans for Trump were told by people in Trump’s circle the media exaggerated the Muslim ban and the president has not talked about the Muslim Ban this election season. Bahbah said Trump should assure voters the ban did not and will not exist.

“The Muslim ban never really materialized,” Bahbah said. “What it ended up being was an extensive vetting of people coming from countries that have internal turmoil. It so happened the six countries listed were Muslim countries.”

Other demands for Trump to gain support include him planning to engage with instead of confront Iran, the appointment of an Arab American to be a federal judge in Michigan, the inclusion of Arab Americans in his presidential staff and for Trump to “quit bashing the Palestinians in his speeches,” according to a document Bahbah sent to The Arab American News.

At a May rally in New Jersey, Trump said he wanted to deport students on visas if they participate in any anti-Israel protests on campus. Bahbah denounced this.

“Students have the right to express themselves,” he said. “The United States is a free country, and there’s nothing in the law that says students, even on student visas, cannot express their opinions or participate in demonstrations or sit ins at universities or elsewhere… We support the expression of the students with regard to the Gaza war, and we would not agree with any statement regarding the deportation of any of those students. Those students should be left alone. America is a free country, not a dictatorship.”

Dr. Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Trump

Michigan is really critical for Trump to win. Whoever wins Michigan will win the presidency. We as Arab and Muslim Americans have the power to sway Michigan in Trump’s favor. – Bahbah

In 2020, Trump signed the Abraham Accords that formally normalized diplomatic relations between some Arab states and Israel. Bahbah said they are not against Trump building on the accords if he wants to, but it wouldn’t solve the issues between Israel and Palestine.

“It does not resolve the core issue of the Middle East problem, which is the Israel-Palestine question,” he said. “Making peace with the United Arab Emirates or Morocco, who have never fought against Israel, is almost irrelevant to the peace process between Israel and Palestine.”

Bahbah said the organization is trying to arrange a meeting between a small group of Arab and Muslim Americans and Trump.

Recent polls in Michigan show a close race between Biden and Trump.

“Michigan is really critical for Trump to win,” Bahbah said. “Whoever wins Michigan will win the presidency. We as Arab and Muslim Americans have the power to sway Michigan in Trump’s favor.”

In the case Biden drops out of the election, Bahbah said the group would not support Vice President Kamala Harris if she is the new appointment.

“She’s partially responsible for the decisions to arm Israel and be complicit in the killing of our people,” he said. “The Biden administration has done a lot of things that harm us.”

Bahbah is hopeful Trump will listen to Arab voters.

“Trump realizes our strength, and therefore, when we say to the Trump camp, we would like these things to be done so that our community comes behind you and supports you, that (becomes) a very important issue,” he said.

The presidential election will take place on Nov. 5.