SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
listen to michigan
The Cease-Fire Movement Brings Me Hope This Arab American Heritage Month
Despite attempts to smear and silence them for supporting Palestinian human rights, a new generation of Arab Americans is having an impact.
Apr 18, 2024
I’ve always known my Arab culture is worth celebrating.
I heard it in Syrian tenor Sabah Fakhri’s powerful voice reverberating in my mom’s car on the way to piano lessons and soccer practice during my youth. I smelled it in the za’atar, Aleppo pepper, allspice, and cumin permeating the air in the family kitchen.
I saw it in the intricate embroidery on my grandma’s silk robe. And in the determination etched in the faces of my immigrant parents, who raised seven children in Southern California without relinquishing our rich Syrian traditions.
How can Arab American life and culture be celebrated when fellow Arabs are facing erasure in Gaza?
April is National Arab American Heritage Month. It should be a time to celebrate the contributions of the over 3.5 million Arab Americans who strengthen our proud nation.
We have Ralph Nader to thank for consumer protections like automobile safety. We have the late Sen. James Abourezk (D-S.D.)—the first Arab American elected to the U.S. Senate—to credit for landmark legislation championing Indigenous rights. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician, first exposed the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.
There are countless others. But right now, it’s impossible to feel celebratory. My community is reeling from the immense pain and horror of an unfolding genocide against the 2.3 million Palestinians of Gaza.
Palestinian Americans have lost family members in Gaza from Israel’s unrelenting bombardment and mass starvation of civilians. Adding insult to injury, Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons to commit these atrocities.
Palestinian Americans—along with other Arabs—have also been on the receiving end of increased hate crimes, harassment, racist rhetoric, and discrimination, belying the message that they, too, are an integral part of this nation. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee received 2,500 reports of anti-Arab hate from October to March.
During this period, Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy from Illinois, was fatally stabbed. Three Palestinian college students were shot in Vermont.
In his proclamation marking this year’s heritage month, President Joe Biden was forced to reckon with Gaza. Instead of announcing a long overdue, permanent cease-fire and an end to U.S. military support for Israel, he offered empty words.
How can Arab American life and culture be celebrated when fellow Arabs are facing erasure in Gaza? Nearly 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, including nearly 14,000 children. Thousands more remain missing. And at least 576,000 Palestinians are on the brink of famine.
Homes filled with family heirlooms and memories have been systematically destroyed. The ancient olive trees that symbolize Palestinians’ deep-rooted connection to their land haven’t been spared.
It’s easy to feel despair. But what brings me hope is the new generation of Arab Americans organizing, marching, and working with other communities to demand a permanent cease-fire. We are reminded that dissent is the highest form of “patriotism.”
Despite attempts to smear and silence them for supporting Palestinian human rights, their efforts are having an impact. A March 27 Gallup poll showed a significant drop in American public support for Israel’s conduct of the war, from 50% in November 2023 to 36% now.
Meanwhile, Arab Americans have emerged as a new and powerful voting bloc. Spearheaded by Arab Americans in Michigan, hundreds of thousands of Americans voted “uncommitted” in recent primary elections in Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and elsewhere to protest U.S. policy in Gaza.
This represents a real shift from the days after 9/11, when Arab Americans faced blanket demonization without any pushback. This is progress, although much more must be done.
We know we belong in America even if we’re not always treated that way. We need enduring collaboration between Arab Americans and policymakers, educators, and community members to defend our rights, create a more equal America, and promote more just U.S. policies abroad—starting with a cease-fire in Gaza.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Campaigners Push for 'Uninstructed' Vote in Wisconsin to Protest Biden Gaza Policy
"How our leaders invest our tax dollars across the globe should reflect our core values and voter interests," said one organizer.
Apr 02, 2024
Warning that U.S. President Joe Biden must listen to the demands of voters in a key state that he won by less than 1%, a coalition in Wisconsin on Tuesday urged Democratic voters to use their primary ballots to pressure the president to decisively push for an end to Israel's war in Gaza.
"Wisconsinites: It's up to us to take a stance against injustice," said Freedom Action Now, one of several groups supporting the Listen to Wisconsin campaign, which is calling on voters to mark the "uninstructed delegation" option on their primary ballots.
The "vote uninstructed" push is the state's version of campaigns in a number of states where organizers have called on voters to vote for the uncommitted option, to write in "cease-fire," or to leave their ballots blank in lieu of voting for Biden in the primary.
With 71% of Wisconsin Democrats supporting an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Israel's U.S.-backed bombardment of Gaza, according to a poll released Monday by Poll Progressive Strategies, organizers said Tuesday that Biden cannot afford to ignore the demand.
"Families right here in Wisconsin have lost innocent loved ones in Gaza and thousands of American troops have been moved to the region as Israel continues to escalate toward potential regional warfare," reads the FAQ on Listen to Wisconsin's official website. "While our families face rising prices, our government has sent billions of dollars in military aid to Israel and prepared our troops to backstop a war that most Americans do not support. How our leaders invest our tax dollars across the globe should reflect our core values and voter interests."
In the same poll, more than 1 in 5 Democratic voters said Biden's policy in Israel and Gaza would impact their vote in the November general election. One hundred percent of respondents under age 29 said they strongly or somewhat support an immediate and permanent cease-fire, and 65% of voters in that age group said they strongly disapprove of Biden's handling of the war.
In addition to a permanent cease-fire, Listen to Wisconsin is calling on the U.S. to reinstate aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), for which the government suspended funding in January over unsubstantiated Israeli claims of Hamas links within the group's ranks and which Congress voted last month to cut funding for until March 2025. Organizers also called for "the full entry of humanitarian aid" into Gaza and "an end to U.S. military aid to Israel."
The nationwide uncommitted movement began in February as campaigners established Listen to Michigan with the aim of convincing at least 10,000 Democratic voters in the crucial swing state to vote uncommitted in the state primary. More than 100,000 voters, or 13%, ultimately cast uncommitted ballots.
Nineteen percent of Minnesota Democrats also voted uncommitted, as well as 13% of North Carolina primary voters and 10% of voters in Washington state.
Listen to Wisconsin said it hopes to convince 20,000 Democratic voters in the state to mark "uninstructed delegate," which would be roughly equal to Biden's narrow margin of victory over former Republican President Donald Trump—now the presumptive GOP nominee—in 2020.
"The margins of our elections are so incredibly close—less than 1% in the last two presidential election cycles—so I think it would behoove the administration to pay attention," Reema Ahmad, lead organizer with the group, told NPR on Tuesday.
If Biden doesn't use his leverage as the biggest international funder of Israel's military to demand a permanent cease-fire, Ahmad added, "he needs to understand that his chances of winning in November are very bleak."
State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-76) pledged her support Tuesday for the "vote uninstructed" push.
"We stand for democracy, for human rights, and safety for everyone, and we deserve leaders who reflect our values," said Hong.
In Tuesday's Democratic primaries, voters in Rhode Island and Connecticut will have the option of voting uncommitted, and campaigners in New York are urging Democratic voters to leave their ballots blank to signal that Biden cannot yet count on their support in November.
In Wisconsin, groups including Voces de la Frontera Action—the state's largest network of Latino voters—and Black Leaders Organizing Communities have backed the Listen to Wisconsin campaign, along with the Sunrise Movement, which said the war in Gaza has emerged as a "climate voter issue."
"Sunrise Movement is fighting for clean air, drinkable water, and safe communities," said Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the group. "We believe the people of Palestine deserve that too. There has been more emissions produced by U.S.-financed bombs in Gaza than the emissions of 20 small countries. We need Biden to fight for peace so that we can collectively fight for more climate wins in the future."
Michelle Wiendling, political director of Sunrise Movement, said Biden is "hemorrhaging the support of young voters by aiding in the destruction of people's lives and homes in Gaza."
"Biden's best chance to succeed in November is by supporting an immediate and permanent cease-fire and ending unconditional military aid to the Israeli government," said Wiendling. "If President Biden wants to defeat Trump, he must listen to young people, people of color, and the working class who put him in office in 2020 and immediately change course."
Keep ReadingShow Less
As Schumer Slams Netanyahu, Palestine Defenders Want 'Action From Democrats, Not Words'
"What we want to see is actual change in policy," stressed Dearborn, Michigan Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.
Mar 14, 2024
While welcoming remarks by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and hinting at a possible shift in policy if far-right extremists continue to run the Middle Eastern country, Palestine defenders on Thursday stressed the need for Democrats to push for the Biden administration to stop arming Israel's genocide in Gaza.
Speaking on the Senate floor on Thursday, Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he believes Netanyahu—who is facing corruption, bribery, and fraud charges—"has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel."
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish American elected official, criticized Netanyahu for including far-right extremists such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in his Cabinet, and said that "as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows."
Sen. Chuck Schumer Calls for ‘New Elections’ in Israel: ‘There Needs To Be a Fresh Debate About the Future of Israel’
"The U.S. Government should demand that Israel conduct itself with a future two-state solution in mind. We should not be forced into a position of unequivocally… pic.twitter.com/Ibwv2D1Ga7
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 14, 2024
"Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah," the senator said. "If Prime Minister Netanyahu's current coalition remains in power after the war begins to wind down and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing U.S. standards for assistance, then the United States will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course."
Responding to Schumer's speech, former Democratic Ohio state Sen. Nina Turnerattributed Schumer's "narrative shift" to "every organizer and activist working tirelessly for peace and humanity."
Abdullah Hammoud, the Democratic mayor of Dearborn, Michigan—the largest U.S. city with a majority Arab population—said on CNN that "words are not enough, what we want to see is actual change in policy."
"It's extremely important for President [Joe] Biden to utilize the leverage that he currently has in restricting military aid... and call not for a temporary cease-fire, but a permanent and lasting cease-fire... that can make a difference today," added Hammoud, who backed the campaign urging Michiganders to vote "uncommitted" in the key swing state's Democratic presidential primary last month.
NEW: Dearborn, Michigan Mayor @AHammoudMI on Schumer's speech and Biden's shifts: "Words are not enough, what we want to see is actual change in policy."
"While the elections could be called...that doesn't change what's happening on the ground today. This is why it's extremely… pic.twitter.com/xWH1omeVQG
— Waleed Shahid 🪬 (@_waleedshahid) March 14, 2024
Layla Elabed, campaign manager of Listen to Michigan—the group behind the "uncommitted" effort—said that "we are looking for action from Democrats, not words."
"Schumer is beginning to shift but far too slowly and with little substance for what actions Biden can take now to stop the outrageous civilian death toll in Gaza," she continued. "Schumer hints at using U.S. leverage against Israel's dangerous policies, yet Netanyahu already violates American policies and values under Biden's watch. How many children in Gaza will be killed by Israeli bombs before Schumer demands an end to U.S. weapons aid?"
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wondered, "What's the strategy here?"
"First, you arm Israel to the teeth, protect it when it commits war crimes, shield it from all international pressure, and NOW you worry it has become a pariah?" he said.
Schumer's remarks are a stark departure from his message in a speech earlier this week at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Congressional Summit, when the senator—who has taken more than $1.7 million in cumulative campaign contributions from the pro-Israel lobby— called supporting Israel "an obligation I feel deep within my soul."
"We will always have Israel's back," he added.
Following Schumer's Thursday remarks, AIPAC
said on social media that "Israel is an independent democracy that decides for itself when elections are held and chooses its own leaders."
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog also
addressed Schumer's comments, without explicitly mentioning the senator: "Israel is a sovereign democracy. It is unhelpful, all the more so as Israel is at war against the genocidal terror organization Hamas, to comment on the domestic political scene of a democratic ally. It is counterproductive to our common goals."
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—who has
taken nearly $2 million in career campaign contributions from AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups—called Schumer's remarks "grotesque and hypocritical."
However, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the senator's speech "is proof that Netanyahu is losing our best supporters in the U.S."
Schumer's shift comes amid Israel's 160-day assault on Gaza, which has killed or maimed more than 111,000 Palestinians, including thousands of people believed dead and buried beneath rubble. Most of the dead are women and children. Around 90% of the besieged strip's 2.3 million people have been displaced, and disease and deadly starvation are spreading as Israel blocks humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Palestine advocates say Israel is failing to obey a January order from the International Court of Justice to avoid genocidal acts in Gaza.
"Time is running out for Israelis and Palestinians and also for Biden's chances at reelection."
Groups like Listen to Michigan have warned Biden and congressional Democrats of the electoral risks of failing to use U.S. leverage to push Israeli leaders more forcefully for a Gaza cease-fire. Hundreds of thousands of Democratic primary voters have selected "uncommitted" or similar language on their ballots, including in key swing states narrowly won by Biden in 2020.
"Time is running out for Israelis and Palestinians and also for Biden's chances at reelection," warned Elabed. "Uncommitted voters have been demanding that Democratic Party leaders like Schumer call for a permanent cease-fire and an end to weapons aid to a far-right Israeli government that bombs Palestinian civilians and has already violated decades of U.S. policy and international law by expanding settlements into Palestinian territory."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular