Bishara Bahbah started the group Arab Americans for Trump last year amid intense anger with Joe Biden over his administration's policies on Gaza. He lobbied Arab Americans, especially in the swing state of Michigan, to vote for Donald Trump, believing that he would bring peace to the region.
But after Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip and that neighbouring countries would – perhaps indefinitely – take in the Palestinians living in the enclave, Mr Bahbah changed the name of the group to Arab Americans for Peace and condemned the plan.
“I'm trying to maintain open communications while at the same time firmly rejecting the idea of displacing Palestinians or removing Palestinians from any part of historic Palestine,” Mr Bahbah told The National. “We are adamantly opposed to the notion of transferring Palestinians outside of historic Palestine for any reason.”
Mr Trump announced his plan after he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Arab governments, Palestinians, the UN and many world leaders have rejected the proposal.
He did not say if Palestinians would be allowed back into Gaza after the reconstruction was completed, but that “the world's people” would live there. He added the coastal territory could become the “Riviera of the Middle East”, a phrase that has been repeatedly used by Israel.
Despite international outcry, Mr Trump insisted that “everybody loves” the idea, saying on Tuesday that he is prepared to send US troops to the Palestinian territory if necessary and claiming his plan would bring stability to the Middle East. He said he would be prepared to send US troops to Gaza “if it's necessary”.
Mr Trump focused on relations with Arab Americans in Michigan, sending a team to the swing state that went to Mr Biden in 2020. During the election, Mr Bahbah told The National that many in the community believed Mr Trump would end the wars in the Middle East.
After the announcement, Mr Bahbah said he still has hope that Mr Trump will change his mind, and pointed to the coming visits to Washington by Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. He said he hoped Mr Trump would also meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“This should give him time to rethink some of the ideas that he floated around, his trial balloons,” he said.
Mohammad Qazzaz, a Palestinian American from Dearborn, Michigan, who voted for a third-party candidate, said he was outraged by the announcement. He said his jaw dropped when he heard the news while having dinner.
“If he goes with this, it'll be a disaster in the making,” Mr Qazzaz said. “It's already a disaster.”