Dear Friend,

A week has passed, and we've crossed another horrific marker of more than 11,000 Palestinians killed. But looking at the victims just as a number doesn't allow those in power to think about the individuals. We know it, and so many of our allies know it too. Palestinians are not numbers. They were artists, journalists, entrepreneurs, students, scientists, mothers, fathers, Sittis and Jiddos, and babies. They were the promise of our shared future with so much to offer the world.

Your words, calls, and actions on their behalf have not been in vain. Now, 31 members of Congress are calling for a ceasefire - a significant increase from the week before.

The overwhelming majority of Americans stand with Arab Americans in calling for #CeasefireNow and the release of the hostages. That's why it is more important than ever to keep this issue front and center by calling your representatives and showing up at the protests, rallies, and vigils. Too many institutions don't want to be confronted with the tragedy unfolding before their very eyes. We must continue to shine a light on what is happening so that by next week, the number of representatives calling for a ceasefire increases even more.

This week, AAI has continued to stand with you in your efforts to elevate the human toll of this devastating violence. Jim and Maya used their platforms to voice the concerns of the Arab American community and call for Palestinian rights through interviews in the New York Times, CNN, VOA, and NPR.

Jim also appeared as a guest on The Guardian’s Politics Weekly America podcast and Discern the Pod podcast.

AAI again attended meetings with several government agencies to express the frustration and pain our community is feeling, including the rise in hate crimes and threats against Arab Americans. Once more, AAI is advocating for substantive measures to address these serious issues, including the protection of our First Amendment right to free speech. We, like you, are not satisfied with "being heard." Being heard means nothing without action to address our real concerns.

Maya and AAI Chairman George Salem met with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to discuss the nationwide increase in hate incidents in our schools. They both emphasized the need to protect all students from discrimination and hate, while also alleviating the dangerous targeting of pro-Palestinian speech on college campuses. In an extraordinary move, three universities have suspended student groups for their advocacy on Palestine. One of those universities, Columbia University, is on the list of schools released yesterday by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights as having an open investigation into a possible Title VI violation.

The chilling of pro-Palestinian solidarity is occurring in many places, and we are doing our best to respond. Jim joined a call with the Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party organized by the Arab American Caucus in Iowa after the Chair of the state party targeted the College Democrats at the University of Iowa for a statement they issued in support of Palestinians. AAI also signed on to a letter in support of CASA-Maryland, an immigration service and advocacy group, after a group of State Senators threatened to cut off their state funding due to their support of Palestine.

Focusing on the disinformation and misinformation rampant in the coverage of Palestine/Israel, Maya spoke on a panel this week with partners on the need to better address the censorship and silencing we are seeing, and how to protect the digital rights of those speaking out in support of Palestinian human rights.

AAI Policy Counsel Margaret Lowry met this week with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Charlotte Burrows and Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal. At the meeting, Margaret highlighted the enormous uptick in discrimination and harassment faced by Arab Americans in the workplace since the latest outbreak of violence in Palestine/Israel—from discrimination in hiring, to blacklists, to harassment from supervisors and fellow employees, and even termination. Further discussion included updates on the EEOC’s handling of incoming complaints, mechanisms to emphasize existing protections to employers, and continued collaboration with Arab American community organizations.

Jim also joined the CBS NY newsroom to answer questions on Palestine. And on Thursday night, he gave a talk to Hamilton College alums and professors on the fact that U.S. policy continues to fail in learning from our mistakes on Palestine/Israel.

In his column this week, Jim spoke of how Israel/Palestine is impacting the future of the Democratic Party. He was joined by Professor Dana Fisher for Coffee and a Column on Wednesday to look at the broad diversity of Americans behind pro-Palestine protests. As you know, these protests include old and young, people of all faiths, people of no faith, and people of all races and national origins. Heba Mohammed, who many of you know as an AAI alum, also joined the conversation to discuss her work helping to rally former Biden campaign staffers to sign on to a letter calling for a ceasefire.

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Israel was preventing Palestinian Americans from entering the West Bank, a clear violation of the Visa Waiver Program which Israel was welcomed into by the U.S. earlier this fall despite a long history of discrimination against Palestinian and Arab Americans. In the article, Maya said “Here we are in the middle of an actual crisis — being told to go [to Amman]... It’s yet another example of why Israel does not belong in this program.”

With Thanksgiving next week, we are taking this moment to thank YOU for all you have done over these last weeks. We know you are doing all you can in this excruciating time. With every action, we are getting closer and closer to a ceasefire because of you. Thank you!

Regards,

Team AAI

Arab American Institute Foundation
1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006
United States