WASHINGTON — When President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John F. Kerry were looking for precious votes in 2004 battleground states, they courted a community long accustomed to being overlooked: Arab Americans.
But just two years later, the small but growing voter bloc appears to have slipped back into political obscurity as a new wave of violence in the Middle East galvanizes American officials' support for Israel.
Despite recent calls from Arab American leaders for greater U.S. efforts to secure a cease-fire, the president and Congress have made it clear that they do not intend to try to stop Israel from taking on its Hezbollah and Hamas foes.
Arab American influence: An article in Sunday's Section A about Middle East violence politically overshadowing Arab Americans said that 12 House members, including Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), had voted against a resolution that condemned Hamas and Hezbollah and supported Israel's right to defend itself. In fact, eight representatives voted against the resolution and four, including Lee and Waters, voted "present."
And last week, the Senate and House overwhelmingly backed resolutions affirming support for Israel's right to defend itself. Only 12 members of the House -- several from districts in Michigan and northern Ohio with concentrations of Arab Americans -- voted against the strongly worded motions.
"This is so devastating," said James Zogby, the longtime head of the Washington-based Arab American Institute, who has said the violence harms Israeli and Arab interests alike. "I thought we'd come further than this."
Amid potent anti-terrorism sentiment, strong lobbying by Israel's supporters and the approaching congressional elections, Republicans and Democrats have rushed to prove their loyalty to the longtime ally.
"U.S. support for Israel is at an all-time high," said spokeswoman Jennifer Cannata of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbied extensively for last week's congressional resolutions.
"I think both parties understand that standing behind Israel at this time is critical," Cannata said.
There is nothing groundbreaking about the outpouring of support. When Israel endured missile attacks from Iraq during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Congress unanimously passed resolutions of support. For years, Democrats and Republicans have burnished their pro-Israel credentials to court Jewish voters. About 6.2 million Americans are Jews, the Census Bureau says.
By contrast, the newer Arab American community, which the Census Bureau estimates at 1.3 million but others contend is larger, has struggled to be recognized as a political force.
That seemed to be changing during the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, when strategists contended that a few thousand votes in Florida, Michigan and Ohio, which have substantial Arab American communities, might tip the contest.
