CHANDLER, Ariz.—A half-dozen friends gathered at a hookah bar just outside of Phoenix for their regular hangout, when they came around to a topic that had animated them during the presidential election: what the future of Gaza would look like under President Trump.
They all voted Democratic in 2020 but diverged in 2024, when the U.S. role in Israel’s fight against Hamas and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians was their collective top issue. Four of them voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein to protest both major parties’ support for Israel. One held his nose and backed former Vice President Kamala Harris despite misgivings. Another voted for Trump, excited by his promise of peace.
Now, with Trump pushing a proposal for the U.S. to take over and redevelop the territory after clearing out its Palestinian residents, the friends’ frequent hangout sessions are often used to exchange recriminations and light jabs over who got it right in November.
“If you guys had listened to me we would have had a better outcome,” said Maher Nawaf Arekat , 70 years old, a businessman from Phoenix and the lone member of the group who backed Harris.
“We will never see it, thank God,” responded Ned Maleh , 43, a finance manager from nearby Gilbert and the group’s lone Trump vote in November.
Mohammed and Mary Horeish. Photo: Ash Ponders for WSJ
The group of Arab-Americans—all of Palestinian descent, except Maleh, who is Iraqi—were infuriated with the Biden administration’s support for Israel. Even Arekat, who voted for Harris, did so begrudgingly.
They are part of a larger community of Arab-American voters nationwide whose disdain for the Biden administration’s handling of Gaza was a key reason Harris couldn’t recreate her boss’s winning coalition from 2020, particularly in battleground states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Democrats also lost support from some progressive voters over the issue.
Interviews with Arab voters in Arizona found the group was also a microcosm of widespread frustration with Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and his embrace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . At the same time, many said they had no regrets about their decision to vote against Harris because they thought she would have continued the strategy of the previous administration. They also wanted to punish Democrats.
As the group smoked hookah and sipped tea and coffee, they talked about a recent AI-generated video Trump had posted on social media depicting a redeveloped Gaza Strip, complete with a Trump hotel and the American president and Israeli prime minister lounging poolside.
After taking office, Trump stunned the world with a proposal that the U.S. would redevelop the enclave. The White House recently rejected a counterproposal by Arab nations to rebuild the strip while keeping Palestinians there.
“I think he wants to get our blood boiling,” said Mary Horeish , 53, a special-education teacher from Mesa who backed Stein. “How do you go into another country and say this is mine? Can they come to America and say, ‘I want the White House?’”
Maleh, who said he is satisfied with Trump overall, agreed the video was a poor choice. Still, he said that was Trump, and the president was owed credit for getting Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire in the first place. The initial cease-fire was put in place under former Joe Biden , but was hammered out with the help of Trump’s team. Maleh is optimistic that the president will be able to help negotiate long-term peace.
Mohammed and Mary Horeish. Photo: Ash Ponders for WSJ
Musa AbuDayya, 36, a financial analyst from Goodyear, agreed Trump should get credit for the end of fighting. AbuDayya, who voted for Stein, said: “I’m not with Trump at all, but at least he said ‘stop’ and they stopped.”
The war was sparked by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that left around 1,200 people in Israel dead, saw about 250 people taken hostage and prompted a massive Israeli military response. More than 46,000 people in Gaza have died in the conflict and more than 110,000 have been injured, according to Palestinian health authorities, whose figures don’t break out the number of combatants.
The first phase of the cease-fire, which saw the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, expired last week without an agreement on what comes next. Israel has blocked the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza and is seeking additional escalation to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to release hostages.
Trump on Wednesday ordered Hamas to release all remaining hostages “or it is OVER for you,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.”
Two-thirds of the friends group in Chandler voted for Stein because they said they couldn’t support either major party candidate, a decision they stand by.
“I didn’t see any difference between the Democrats and the Republicans,” said Mohammad Riyad , 48, a lawyer from Gilbert.
While the Biden administration supported Israel in its war against Hamas, there were times when the president clashed with Netanyahu, particularly over the ability for aid and food to enter into the Gaza Strip. Trump, meanwhile, has long had a close relationship with Netanyahu and was supportive of Israel’s efforts. His campaign worked to court Arab voters by promising peace.
All but Maleh were pessimistic about what happens next for Palestinians under Trump, and said they hope their vote choice helped Democrats learn a valuable lesson: not to take them for granted.
“Next time, they’ll think twice before they try to forget about us,” Maleh said.
Write to Eliza Collins at eliza.collins@wsj.com
