The unfinished Gaza war: What Netanyahu hopes to gain from attacking Palestinian prisoners
April 12th, 20190 The current violence targeting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails dates back to January 2. It was then that Israel’s public security minister, Gilad Erdan, declared that the “party is over.” “Every so often, infuriating pictures appear of cooking in the terrorist wings. This party is coming to an end,” Erdan was quoted in...
Political and policy skills are merging
April 2nd, 20190 Here’s a surprise: The skills that can be used to win in politics are increasingly the skills needed to produce good policy. I know. You look at the policy stalemates in Washington and wonder how this could be. The people who arrived there by winning elections haven’t shown much in the way of policy-making prowess. But let me...
Robocallers, you’re out
April 2nd, 20190 Most robocalls are prohibited by law, but scammers and dishonest people continue to send them. And even some legitimate companies violate people’s privacy rights with illegal robocalls. The FTC has announced several victories in the fight against illegal robocalls. In the first victory, the FTC announced that it stopped the operator...
The shameful attack on Ilhan Omar that backfired
April 2nd, 20190 What happened to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was troubling. On the one hand, because she dared to challenge the way supporters of Israel have worked to silence debate on U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she became a victim of incitement and the target of legislation meant to shame her. At the same time, however, the...
On my visit to New Zealand: Can Christchurch heal our collective wounds?
April 2nd, 20190 I visited the city of Christchurch on May 23, 2018, as part of a larger speaking tour in New Zealand that also took me to Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin. New Zealand is an exceptional country, different from other countries that are often lumped under the generalized designation of the “Western world.” Almost immediately...
A special thanks to our supporters and sponsors
March 29th, 20190 It was a great 35th anniversary celebration for The Arab American News last Friday. Thanks to everyone who took the time to attend the event. We had around 700 friends and guests. We appreciate all of our sponsors and supporters. Special thanks to Papaya Fruit Market and Midwest Recycling and their respective CEO’s, Khalil...
After 35 years of ups and downs, the story is about successes and challenges
March 15th, 20191 As we approach our 35th anniversary celebration on Friday, March 22, we can't help but reflect on the challenges we've faced, the successes we've achieved and the issues we've reported on and overcome together as a community. Running a media publication has always been difficult, challenging and complex, especially in ethnic...
Why the outrage? “Jewish Power” Party is the new norm in Israeli politics
March 9th, 20190 Immediately after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forged an alliance with the fringe political group Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), a widespread outrage ensued. The anger did not emanate only from the Center, Left and Arab parties, but from some in the Right as well. Even the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S., known for its hawkish...
It’s a new day on Capitol Hill
March 9th, 20190 On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution by a vote of 407-to-23 to condemn both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, among other forms of bigotry, including those of White Supremacists, a development Democratic U.S. Reps Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Andre Carson of...
Netanyahu has gone too far right for the right
March 1st, 20190 After all these years, we are now seeing politically what followers of the cruel occupation of Palestine have known for many years: Benjamin Netanyahu has gone way too far to the right, and his political career is finally now careening toward its dramatic end as a result. The Israeli prime minister has been indicted in three cases...
Israel’s supporters are panicking: The game is over
February 22nd, 20191 Hardline supporters of Israel are in panic mode. It was in evidence earlier this week with the all-out assault on the first Somali, African-born immigrant, refugee, Muslim woman elected to serve in the U.S. Congress. Her crime was that she dared to point out, as a leading New York Times columnist and so many others have in the past, the...
The first rule of AIPAC: You do not talk about AIPAC
February 22nd, 20190 Washington's political establishment went berserk when U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) publicly noted that U.S.-Israel relations are "all about the Benjamins" — slang for $100 bills, referring to money shoveled at American politicians by the American Israel Public Affairs Group (AIPAC). Omar was accused of antisemitism —...
What great legislators have in common
February 16th, 20190 Each of the great politicians and legislators I’ve known over the course of my career in Congress was very different. They were masters of the rules, or unassailably knowledgeable about a given issue, or supremely watchable orators or consummate students of people. But they also shared key traits that I wish more elected officials...
Gaza rallies for Caracas: On the West’s dangerous game in Venezuela
February 16th, 20190 Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of besieged Gaza to show their support for the democratically-elected government of Venezuela and its legitimate leader, President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela is struggling to defeat a coup attempt that is supported by the United States, Israel and many Western governments. The...
American politics’ great divide
February 15th, 20190 One of the more striking political developments of the last few years has been the partisan sorting of American voters. It used to be that both the Republican and Democratic parties covered some ideological ground. Now, it’s so habitual for conservatives to make their home in the GOP and liberals in the Democratic Party that party and......
Omar was right about AIPAC, her apology is a mistake
February 15th, 20190 This weekend, just hours after U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) posted a tweet implying that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pays off American politicians to defend Israel, she had already apologized, in response to a swift rebuke from House Democratic leaders. In two separate tweets, Omar called out AIPAC as a...
Enough Western meddling and interventions: Let the Venezuelan people decide
February 15th, 20190 American politicians from the two main parties have finally found something to agree upon: More intervention in Venezuela. “Now, despite (President Nicolas) Maduro, there is hope (in Venezuela),” wrote Democratic Senator Dick Durbin in USA Today. “These events (meaning the current political instability in the country) are a...
The shameful senate vote that endangers our free speech
February 8th, 20190 On Tuesday, the Senate passed S.1, the "Middle East bill" that included the “Combating BDS Act of 2019”, a measure that encourages state and local governments to enact legislation that bars state agencies from contracting with individuals or companies who support boycotts of Israel, more commonly known as the Boycott, Divestment and...
Now Chad, then Mali: Why African countries are normalizing with Israel
February 4th, 20190 Forget the hype. Israel’s “security technology” has nothing to do with why some African countries are eager to normalize relations with Israel. What is it that Israel is able to offer in the technology sector to Chad, Mali and others that the United States, the European Union, China, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa and......
False ‘victories’: Is the PA using the ‘State of Palestine’ to remain in power?
January 26th, 20190 The "State of Palestine" has officially been handed the chairmanship of the G-77, the United Nations' largest block. This is particularly significant considering the relentless Israeli-American plotting to torpedo the Palestinian push for greater international recognition and legitimacy. It is now conclusive that the main mission for...
Give Trump his wall and give us back our government
January 25th, 20190 Let us assume that you are a federal government employee who is about to miss his second paycheck because of the government shutdown. That’s one month without pay. Also, let's say that you are a Democrat and a staunch anti-Trump individual. You should be asking the Democrats on Capitol Hill to give Trump the money for his wall and......
On its 90th anniversary, Dearborn must pledge support for most neglected neighborhoods
January 18th, 20190 This week Dearborn marked the 90th anniversary of what has become one of the largest and most diverse cities in the state. But as the city moves forward with plans to turn west Dearborn into a modern business and entertainment hub, the age and neglect of its "other" parts is evident. A lack of support has taken its toll on the east...
Bahia Amawi and the strangest loyalty oath Americans are forced to take
December 21st, 20181 Bahia Amawi works as children's speech pathologist for the Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas. Or, rather, she used to work as a children's speech pathologist for the district. After nine years, Glenn Greenwald reports at The Intercept, the district's administration declined to renew her contract because she refused to......
