Michigan Arab American community leaders send letter to Trump, urge him to bring peace to the Middle East
(CBS DETROIT) - It's been just over a week since Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. After promising peace in the Middle East, he also won over the city of Dearborn, which has the largest Arab American population in the nation.
Trump got 42.5% to Harris' 36.3% and was the first Republican to win the city since George W. Bush in 2000, according to the Associated Press.
A letter was sent to Trump last week on behalf of the Lebanese-American community. Read the letter below:
Representatives from the Middle East and North Africa American Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn published the letter, urging the president-elect to fulfill his promise to end the war in the Middle East.
"We want to make sure that what was said during the campaign and leading up to the election that President-elect Trump remains true to those commitments," said Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of MENA American Chamber of Commerce.
But only a few days after Trump's win, some of the Dearborn residents who voted for Trump had concerns including more recent escalation in the Middle East and some of Trump's cabinet nominees.
"Right now, we're looking for a response to the letter as well as moderating some of the cabinet selections. I think the most troubling amongst them has been former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, who's gone on the record as not acknowledging or recognizing that Palestinians exist," Nemer said.
Lebanese community liaison Albert Abbas, who also signed the letter, told CBS Detroit that while the president-elect isn't in office yet, he would like to see action now.
"In the meantime, we want him to use his influence as president-elect to call for a ceasefire so that once he's in office, he can work on a long-term peace agreement with the Middle East in regards to Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel," Abbas said.
And while Abbas also has concerns, he says it's too early to judge Trump just yet.
"We've seen no new wars under the previous Trump administration so we're hopeful that once he's in office that he will come through on his agreement for peace and his promise for peace, but right now I think it's a little bit premature," Abbas said.
