The Uncommitted National Movement dealt a major blow to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign by announcing they won’t endorse her.

The group, which is influential in Michigan due to its large Arab-American and Muslim populations, stated Harris’s stance on Gaza and her refusal to meet with the movement as reasons for their decision. Harris has stayed firm on U.S. support for Israel, a position that’s drawn criticism from this group, as reported by The Washington Examiner.

At a press conference, the Uncommitted National Movement expressed frustration over Harris’s reluctance to engage with them, despite their demands for an arms embargo on Israel. The group gave her a deadline of September 15 to meet, which passed without any action.

At the conclusion of our historic sit-in at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Uncommitted National Movement leaders asked Vice President Harris to respond by September 15 to requests to meet with Palestinian American families in Michigan who lost loved ones to… pic.twitter.com/c9QE03gTpL

— Uncommitted National Movement 🌺 (@uncommittedmvmt) September 19, 2024

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As Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the movement, put it, “Vice President Harris and her team failed to take the opportunity to empower the Uncommitted Movement to endorse her and to mobilize voters for her reelection.”

NEW: Uncommitted will NOT back Harris, no meeting w/ VP after DNC. VP’s “unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy” or make a statement “upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her.” https://t.co/yzUOkZFsvi

— Akela Lacy (@akela_lacy) September 19, 2024

The group’s frustration is rooted in Harris’s refusal to shift her policies regarding Gaza.

They had hoped her nomination might signal a change from Biden’s unyielding support of Israel, especially after her past criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, Harris has made it clear that her policies would not stray far from Biden’s, disappointing many who had looked for stronger stances on human rights.

Despite their frustration with Harris, the Uncommitted National Movement isn’t backing Donald Trump either. The group made it clear that while they oppose Trump’s agenda in Gaza, they won’t recommend a third-party vote, fearing it could hand Trump a win via the Electoral College, as reported by The Intercept.

They urged their supporters to vote against Trump, even without endorsing Harris.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a vocal critic of the Biden-Harris administration’s stance on Israel, has warned that Harris could lose Michigan because voters “know firsthand the effects and the impact of American-funded bombing.”

Harris’s unwillingness to budge on this issue leaves many progressives feeling sidelined, which could prove costly in key swing states.

While this decision may not sink Harris’s chances, it certainly signals deeper fractures within the Democratic Party, especially among Arab-American and Muslim voters. With the 2024 election approaching, Harris’s campaign will need to address these disillusioned voters if they hope to rally support.