LANSING, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Just a week after winning a in several of the nation鈥檚 largest Arab-majority cities, President-elect Donald Trump has filled top administration posts with staunch Israel supporters, including an ambassador to Israel who has claimed 鈥渢here is no such thing as Palestinians.鈥�
Meanwhile, the two Trump advisers who to Arab Americans have not secured positions in the administration yet.
The selections have prompted among Arab Americans and Muslims in Michigan, which went for Trump along with all six other battleground states. Some noted Trump鈥檚 longstanding support for Israel and said their Vice President Kamala Harris was not necessarily an endorsement of him. Others who openly supported him say he will be the final decisionmaker on policy and hope he will keep his promise of achieving an end to the conflicts in the Middle East.
Albert Abbas, a Lebanese American leader whose brother owns the Dearborn, Michigan, restaurant Trump final days, stood beside the former president during that visit and spoke in support of him.
Now, Abbas says it鈥檚 鈥渢oo early鈥� to judge Trump and that 鈥渨e all need to take a deep breath, take a step back and let him do the work that he needs to do to to achieve this peace.鈥�
鈥淚 just want you to think about what the alternative was,鈥� said Abbas, referring to the current administration鈥檚 handling of Israel's war in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon. He added, 鈥淲hat did you expect from myself or many members of the community to do?鈥�
Beyond promising peace in the Middle East, Trump has offered on how he plans to achieve it. His transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Throughout the campaign, his surrogates often focused more on criticizing Harris than outlining his agenda. And visuals of the conflict 鈥� with tens of thousands of deaths collectively in Gaza and Lebanon 鈥� stirred anger among many in Arab and Muslim communities about President Joe Biden and Harris' backing of Israel.
Amin Hashmi, a Pakistani American in Michigan who voted for Trump, urged him to stay true to his campaign commitments to bring peace.
鈥淚 am disappointed but not surprised," said Hashmi, who urged Trump to 鈥渒eep the promise you made to the people of Arab descent in Michigan.鈥�
Trump picks what pro-Israel conservatives call a 鈥榙ream team鈥�
Those in the community with concerns have specifically pointed to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, nominated as Trump鈥檚 . Huckabee has consistently rejected the idea of a Palestinian state in territories seized by Israel, strongly supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposed a two-state solution, claiming 鈥渢here really isn鈥檛 such a thing鈥� as Palestinians in referring to the descendants of people who lived in Palestine before the establishment of Israel.
While Huckabee has sparked the most concern among community members, other Trump Cabinet picks have strongly spoken in Israel's favor as it targets Hamas following the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack in which it killed 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds more as hostage.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, nominated for secretary of state, has opposed a ceasefire in the war, stating that he wants Israel to 鈥渄estroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on.鈥�
Trump's pick to be his ambassador to the United Nations, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, of university presidents over antisemitism on campuses. She has also opposed funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which oversees aid to Gaza.
The Republican Jewish Coalition, which organized for Trump in Michigan, has been outspoken in its support for many of Trump鈥檚 Cabinet picks. Sam Markstein, the group鈥檚 political director, described the proposed lineup as a 鈥減ro-Israel dream team,鈥� adding that 鈥渇olks are giddy about the picks.鈥� He praised Trump鈥檚 pro-Israel record as 鈥渟econd to nobody.鈥�
鈥淭he days of this mealymouthed, trying to have support in both camps of this issue are over," Markstein said. "The way to secure the region is peace through strength, and that means no daylight between Israel and the United States.鈥�
No roles yet for key figures in Trump's Arab American outreach
Among the reasons some Arab American voters supported Trump was that they believed his prominent supporters would be key in the next administration.
Massad Boulos, a Lebanese businessman and father-in-law of Trump鈥檚 daughter Tiffany, led the Arab American community, organizing dozens of meetings across Michigan and other areas with large Arab populations. Some sessions also featured Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence, who was well-regarded by those who met with him.
Neither Boulos nor Grenell has been tapped yet for the coming administration, though Grenell was once considered a potential secretary of state before Rubio was selected. Boulos declined to comment and Grenell did not respond to a request for comment.
鈥淪ome people expected Trump to be different and thought Massad would play a significant role,鈥� said Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, which declined to endorse a candidate in the presidential race.
Siblani himself turned down a suggested meeting with Trump after the non-endorsement announcement.
鈥淏ut now people are coming to us and saying, 鈥楲ook what you鈥檝e done,鈥欌�� Siblani said. 鈥淲e had a choice between someone actively shooting and killing you and someone threatening to do so. We had to punish the person who was shooting and killing us at the time.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Mike Householder in Detroit and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press
