Kamala Harris pledged to do “everything in my power to end the war in Gaza” at her latest rally in Michigan on Sunday, as she sought to appeal to major Arab-American and Muslim leaders two days before the election American population of the state.

Michigan is home to about 240,000 registered Muslim voters, the majority of whom voted for Biden in 2020, helping him to a narrow victory over Donald Trump. But Arab Americans and Muslim Americans in the state have expressed dissatisfaction with the vice president’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza, and polls show these voters are turning to Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

With Harris and the former president all but tied in Michigan, a drop in vote numbers could be crucial for both, and Harris made a clear appeal at the start of her speech.

“We are joined today by leaders of the Arab American community, which has deep and proud roots here in Michigan, and I want to say that this year has been difficult given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza and given the civilian casualties and displacement. in Lebanon,” Harris said.

“It is devastating, and as president I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure that Israel is safe and to ensure that the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity. , freedom, security and self-determination.”

Speaking on the campus of Michigan State University, Harris reiterated her campaign promise to “turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division.” Harris did not mention Trump by name in East Lansing as she delivered a speech that sounded a hopeful tone for the future.

“America is ready for a new start, ready for a new path forward, where we see our fellow countrymen not as enemies, but as neighbors,” she said.

“We are ready for a president who knows that the true measure of a leader is not based on who you defeat, but on who you elevate.”

Harris made her fourth stop of the day in Michigan, after previously speaking at a church in Detroit and stopping at a barbershop in Pontiac. The state is key to her chances of success, but the outcome will likely be close. Trump won Michigan in 2016 by about 10,000 votes as he demolished the Democrats’ “blue wall,” and Biden also carried the state in 2020 by a narrow margin. Trump will hold his final campaign rally in Michigan on Monday evening, but Harris was provocative.

“We have to finish strong. So we still have a lot of work to do in the next two days, but the point is: we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work,” she says.

“And make no mistake: we will win.”

There was a raucous atmosphere at the meeting, Harris’ last stop in Michigan before Tuesday’s vote. She had to pause repeatedly for loud chants of “Kamala, Kamala” from a diverse crowd that seemed eager to vote for her

“I feel more energized and excited about this election than I have in a while,” said Latonya Demps, 40, a small business owner and Michigan State alumna.

“I am very excited to vote for Harris. As a woman, she stands up for my rights and women’s rights that we have fought for for a very, very long time: the right to choose, the right to equality and access, also freedom for all of us in terms of climate change In terms of our economy , the kind of neighbors we want to have, the families we want to raise, I think she represents the values ​​that are really important to me.”

This week, Democrats have fought to counter the gains Stein has made among Arab American and Muslim American voters in Michigan, with the Democratic National Committee launching a series of ads on Instagram and YouTube aimed at discouraging people from voting. Stein and Cornel West to vote. acts as an independent party and is also a critic of Israel.

The ads highlight recent comments by Trump that he “really likes” Stein because, “She takes 100% of (Democrats).” Pro-democracy organization MoveOn also ran a “seven-figure” advertising campaign this week, which it said was aimed at appealing to people who have yet to decide on a candidate and “curious third-party voters.”

Opinion polls on this issue have produced inconsistent results. Last week, a national survey of Arab Americans conducted by the Arab News Research and Studies Unit found that 43% supported Trump, compared to 41% for Harris, and 4% supported Stein, while a survey of Muslim Americans, by the Council on American-Islamic Relations of American Muslims found that 42.3% plan to vote for Stein, 41% for Harris and 9.8% for Trump.

Despite that uncertainty, Harris supporters left in high spirits Sunday night.

“She will be the first black woman president we’ve had. She’s actually going to fight for our rights. She fights for women’s reproductive rights, she also fights for the middle class, for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs like me,” says Zay Worthey (19).

Worthey said he was “100%” confident Harris will win the White House on Tuesday.

“Because she has something that Donald Trump doesn’t have: community,” Worthey said.

“She really works and fights for the people of America, and Donald Trump only works for the people of the rich.”