Dearborn, Michigan - In the key swing state Michigan, Democratic voters of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage say Kamala Harris is going to have to win them back, after they were alienated by the White House's support for Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The town of Dearborn, home to 110,000 people and a cultural hub for Arab Americans, could play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the battleground state in November's presidential election.

Members of the community interviewed by AFP said they were willing to hear what the vice president had to say and weigh their options – a marked change from the outright hostility towards current President Joe Biden.

"We are in listening mode right now," said Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News.

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Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention on Thursday, Harris pledged to get a Gaza ceasefire "done" and ensure Palestinians realize their right to "dignity, security, freedom and self- determination." She also reaffirmed her support for Israel.

But there was outrage among pro-Palestinian delegates that their request for a speaker spot at the convention was rejected. The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said the decision sent a "terrible message" and announced it was disbanding and withdrawing its support from the campaign.

Thousands of protesters had gathered outside the convention and disrupted events in Chicago demanding an arms embargo on Israel to protect Palestinian lives, a step Harris does not support.

Meanwhile, the Abandon Biden campaign – launched ahead of the 2024 primaries – has officially rebranded as Abandon Harris.

The vice president, who has vowed "not to be silent" about the suffering of Palestinians, has so far failed to outline any major policy difference from her current boss toward Israel and Gaza.

During a recent rally in Michigan, Harris tried to silence protesters by telling them, "I'm speaking now" – a campaign trail moment that has gone viral and sparked strong criticism from pro-peace voters.

Michigan, home to the "big three" automakers – Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler – has long been an essential stop for White House aspirants.

Economic downturns in the 1970s led many to leave the so-called "Rust Belt" state, just as unrest in the Middle East brought new waves of Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni, and Palestinian immigrants.

"We're a global city, where nearly 55% of our residents are of Arab background," said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud in a recent interview. "For many of us, when you talk about what's happening in Gaza, these are our family and our friends."

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Famous as the birthplace of Henry Ford, Dearborn appears at first glance just like any small US city, with its wide thoroughfares and strip malls.

But it is also home to the Islamic Center of America – the largest mosque in the country – and countless Middle Eastern supermarkets, eateries, and coffee shops.

When Siblani first started his newspaper in the mid-1980s, he remembers the then-mayor campaigned on a platform to address the "Arab problem."

But as the community's numbers grew, and the children of blue-collar factory workers took up positions as lawyers, doctors, and businesspeople, so too did their political influence.

Voting patterns have also changed over time.

Arab and Muslim Americans heavily favored George W. Bush in the 2000 election. Years of the US "War on Terror" – which saw wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and Muslim American communities put under stricter law enforcement scrutiny – swung them firmly to the Democratic camp.

In 2018, southeast Michiganders elected Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American in Congress – a milestone for the community.

Three Arab-American mayors have also recently been elected in suburbs known for historic racism towards non-whites.

Angered by former president Donald Trump's travel ban on Muslim countries, support for Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and more, Dearborn voters overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020, helping secure Michigan for the Democrats by a slim margin.

Residents here are tired, however, of being asked to vote for the "lesser of two evils" and instead want candidates who will deliver on demands, such as a permanent ceasefire and an end to the supply of weapons to Israel.

"I think VP Harris has a window of opportunity," said Faye Nemer, a community activist and CEO of the MENA American Chamber of Commerce. "She can either continue President Biden's legacy or set her own agenda."

Some Arab Americans in Dearborn have been pleased by Harris' pick of Tim Walz as her running mate over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who took a hard line against college protesters. As a 20-year-old student, Shapiro wrote an op-ed saying he was a past volunteer in the Israeli army and claiming that Palestinians "do not have the capabilities to establish their own homeland."

But demands of Harris are hardening as the death toll continues to rise in Palestine.

"We don't want crumbs anymore," declared Soujoud Hamade, a business lawyer and long-time Democrat, who vowed to vote for Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein if Harris did not deliver on the campaign trail.