Opinion: Harris has been imperfect on Gaza. As Arab Americans, we must vote for her anyway.

I have been an Arab American activist on the national and local level for over 50 years.

During that time, I helped found our country’s largest Arab American nonprofit and advocacy agency , worked as a part of the Arab Workers Caucus of the United Automobile Workers to end the union’s holding of Israeli bonds , and helped to organize the annual Palestine Day marches in Dearborn, Michigan.

I served as a co-chair of the Michigan Democratic Party for over a decade and as director of the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services under Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

I have lived through a half-century of American political life, and yet I feel sure Arab Americans, and all Americans, find ourselves at a pivotal time.

It is not hyperbole to say that this election will be one of the most consequential in U.S. history, with two starkly different philosophies of what our nation can be. On one hand, there is a view that there is a place for all of us in America. On the other, a leader who seeks to divide us by race, gender and national origin.

I, like so many others, have been horrified by the slaughter that has taken place in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Over 41,000 reported dead in the Gaza Strip, many of them children, to continue an illegal occupation . The murder of more than 1,200 Israeli civilians and the taking of 250 hostages. As an Arab American, and as a just plain American, like others, I worked to persuade our government to do more to end all this, and for a peaceful solution that respects the rights of both peoples.

As a tactic to achieve that, I have supported those in our community and many others in Michigan, and around the nation, who voted uncommitted in Democratic primaries, and lobbied the Biden administration to do more.

Frankly, there has not been the progress we would have liked to see. Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, has indeed been more sympathetic, but she has yet to put more on the table. It is no wonder that many in my community are considering sitting out this election, or wasting their vote on a third party that cannot possibly win.

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This may anger some of my fellow Arab Americans, and even cost me friendships. But let me say it plainly: We have no choice but to vote for Kamala Harris.

On every issue, Harris is the better candidate

This vote will be the most important in our lives. I know you’ve heard that before, but this time it’s true.

Donald Trump has said that he will reinstate the Muslim travel ban and has indicated that he will continue to separate families at the border. He has promised to use the National Guard to round up and deport millions of immigrants , many of whom are working to achieve legal status and contributing to our economy. He promises to return us to the days of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids in our communities .

He refuses to acknowledge the occupation of Palestinian lands , opposes an independent Palestinian state , steadfastly supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has not decried his bloody approach to Gaza.

On the other hand, Kamala Harris is calling for a cease-fire and a two-state solution with equal rights for both peoples .

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There is so much on the table. Climate change, an existential issue that will affect not only our lives but also those of our children and grandchildren, a woman’s right to decide what to do with her body, and much, much more.

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One candidate tells us we all have a place in America. The other tells us it is the other who is to blame for all our ills – and we Arab Americans are part of the “other.”

I have made my choice. I will vote Democratic, not for the perfect good, but for a better way of life, and a chance to fight for peace.

Ismael Ahmed is a longtime activist. This column originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press .

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Harris has been imperfect on Gaza. As Arab Americans, we must vote for her anyway.