A well-known Palestinian DJ on Tuesday demanded that Vice President Kamala Harris stop using her image in a campaign ad.
Sama’ Abdulhadi, dubbed the queen of underground Palestinian techno music, says she hasn’t endorsed the Democratic candidate and didn’t give permission for her to be shown in the Harris campaign’s ad focused on the rebirth of Detroit.
“I did not approve this message! I don’t endorse any U.S. political party,” Abdulhadi wrote on Instagram.
Abdulhadi image appears briefly about halfway through the one-minute Harris ad entitled “Detroit” that spotlights the Motor City’s revival and former President Trump’s insulting description of it during a recent campaign rally.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The dispute spotlights Harris’ ongoing problem with Arab-American voters amid the Israeli war in Gaza, especially in the battleground state of Michigan.
A recent poll shows Arab voters roughly evenly split between Harris and Trump, even though the Republican has harshly criticized Harris for not supporting Israel strongly enough.The Democratic mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, a Detroit suburb with a large Arab population, has endorsed Trump.
When President Biden was in the race, more than 10% of Michigan Democratic voters cast ballots for a so-called Uncommitted slate of pro-Palestinian delegates.
Palestinians and Arab American voters accuse Biden and Harris of failing to halt the war, which they say amounts to genocide by Israel.
The move by Abdulhadi comes after several high-profile artists including Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters and Beyoncé have complained about Trump using their songs at his campaign rallies.
Harris has lined up several A-list stars to back her campaign in the closing days of the race, including appearances by Lizzo and Usher last weekend.
Bruce Springsteen plans to perform at Harris rallies this coming weekend. Pop superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Harris on the night of her debate with Trump.
