At a rally this week at the Detroit airport, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were greeted with loud enthusiasm by an energized base in a packed aircraft hangar. But a moment of contention arose when pro-Palestine protesters interrupted the rally. Harris addressed them directly, saying, “I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters. But I am speaking now.” When interrupted again, she responded, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

The crowd roared. Later, some applauded the vice president’s firm handling of the protesters; others saw a high-handed dismissal. Either way, the incident highlighted ongoing divisions within the party on the war in Gaza, even after Joe Biden stepped aside. And all the press on the moment obscured other, more nuanced moments for Harris and disillusioned voters on Wednesday outside Detroit, right next to Dearborn, home of America’s greatest Arab diaspora.

One of those moments involved Layla Elabed, co-founder of the national “uncommitted” movement, which seeks to deny votes to any candidate who support Israel’s war in Gaza. Elabed, a Palestinian American political activist, helped divert more than 100,000 votes away from Biden in the Democratic primary in Michigan, a closely contested state in November. To Elabed’s surprise, the Harris campaign reached out directly to her and the co-founder of the movement, Abbas Alawieh, to appear at the rally. In an interview, Elabed told me about the moment she met Harris there—and what it will take for voters like her to support the vice president. Our interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Aymann Ismail: How did you end up at the Harris rally on Wednesday?

Layla Elabed: I got the invitation just maybe an hour before we had to be there. It was to be part of the photo, so we were in this backstage area of the aircraft hangar. We were welcomed. Everyone was very friendly. There were a lot of folks there, including groups from........

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