This election season, Arab-American voters in Georgia, like 31-year-old Palestinian-American Ruwa Romman, face a complex dilemma. Romman, a legislator in the swing state, was nominated to represent the Uncommitted National Movement, an initiative aiming to urge Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to reconsider her support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. While she was set to share her family’s story at the Democratic National Convention in mid-August, she was ultimately prevented from speaking. Nonetheless, her advocacy outside the convention has thrust her into the national spotlight.
Romman embodies the struggle many Arab-Americans face as they navigate their support for the Democratic Party while expressing criticism of its generally pro-Israel platform. She was one of three speakers proposed by the Uncommitted National Movement to convey the Palestinian experience at the convention. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Romman revealed that, had she been allowed to speak, her address would have included an endorsement for Harris. She viewed her potential speech as an opportunity to humanize the plight of Palestinians, who have suffered immense losses in the ongoing conflict. When asked whether she would rule out endorsing Harris, Romman responded that she wasn’t certain. She shared that she had extended her endorsement but noted that neither the Harris campaign nor the DNC acknowledged it. Regarding the issue of an official endorsement, she emphasized that it was more their decision than hers.
Romman, born in Jordan, made history in 2022 when she became the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives. Her election was part of a record wave of 153 Muslim-American candidates winning office during the midterm elections. Romman’s story highlights the unique challenges faced by Arab-American voters, who are often caught between their loyalty to the Democratic Party and their desire for a more nuanced and empathetic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
