Michigan's “Death to America” Lobby

What’s happening: During an Al-Quds Day protest, demonstrators in Dearborn, Michigan, yelled “death to America,” “death to Israel,” and claimed that Israel was a Nazi and ISIS state earlier this month. Many Michigan Democrats were silent on the controversy.

Not the first time: There were rallies in Dearborn celebrating the Oct. 7 attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and another 240 held hostage. Speakers called to “burn” Israel “until its demise” and expressed how pleased they were with the attack.

• Further back: A prominent Dearborn imam — who spoke at a Bernie Sanders rally in 2020 — once said there is a “connection” between Israel and ISIS and that ISIS is an “arm of the Zionists.”

Why it matters: There is a movement by Muslim Americans and progressives in Dearborn and beyond against reelecting President Joe Biden in November in protest of his support for Israel. Biden has done specific outreach to the bloc and changed some of his rhetoric on Israel to win back their votes.

Electoral context: In the Michigan Democratic primary earlier this year, 57 percent of Dearborn voters cast “uncommitted” ballots, while only 40 percent supported Biden. But Michigan is an essential state for Biden to win in November.

• Let’s be realistic: With continued funding for Israel, changing rhetoric to be more critical of the Jewish state is unlikely to sway these voters.

Zoom out: Allowing domestic politics to dictate foreign policy can impact life-or-death situations and escalate violence. Due to Biden’s public pressure on Israel, Hamas is emboldened not to agree to a hostage deal while innocent lives hang in the balance.