Dear Friend,

I want you to know we're still here with you in this fight. As we move forward, our community is being attacked and shut out in multiple different ways. But we know it's not stopping you and it's not stopping us.

This week, the Nation published Jim's piece on the erasure of our community by the current White House and those before it. I think it's an important read and urge you to check it out. Jim also appeared on Democracy Now this morning with Dearborn, Michigan Mayor Abdullah Hammoud to discuss the frustration felt by Arab American voters towards President Biden’s policies on Palestine.

You and I know too well. There is, and always has been, anti-Arab bias in America. Jim has experienced it throughout his career in politics. AAI, ADC, and too many other Arab American organizations have experienced it. Arab Americans have been targeted for who they are and what they believe. The recent decision by the Biden administration to subordinate Arab Americans under a strategy to respond to the real problem of anti-Muslim bigotry 1) damages the ability to truly tackle anti-Arab hate at a national level, and 2) ignores the very real concerns of the Arab American community.

We know that attacks on Arab Americans increased significantly after October 7. In Burlington, Vermont, three students, all of Palestinian descent, wearing keffiyehs and speaking Arabic were shot on Thanksgiving. In Illinois, 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was murdered, and his mother hospitalized. On college campuses and in workplaces, Arab Americans and our allies, are facing threats to their First Amendment right to free speech because they support Palestinian human rights. Just like there can be no room for hate targeting any community because of who they are, there is no room for anti-Arab racism. That is why we cannot, and will not ignore, as some would have us do, that these attacks occur because we are Arab and supportive of Palestine. If we are indeed all equal under the law, then our government must listen to us, respect our community, and address the serious anti-Arab hate (which is amplified by much of the mainstream media and some elected officials) facing Arab Americans, especially Palestinian Americans, and all those who voice their support for Palestinians.

AAI is working to change this administration's policy towards our community, but no one is holding their breath. So, for those of you already turning to local and state governments to create momentum for our community, you are right to do so. This past week, Chicago became the largest city in the U.S. to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Chicago stands as one of over 40 cities, both big and small, across the U.S. calling for a ceasefire - with dozens more considering similar action. Chicago's decision followed weeks of work on the ground by local organizers and an Emergency Summit for Gaza that AAI organized with Rainbow PUSH and others. Chicago showed us what we all know, organizing works and we must do more.

We are in awe of these local, activist-led efforts in at least 20 different states supporting a ceasefire. We encourage you to contact your state legislators here. You can use the same language to write directly to your city council (which you can find here). Ask them to pass a ceasefire resolution. Share your efforts with others in your network and in your community.

It's clear that the American people are demanding a ceasefire. As these local ceasefire resolutions continue to grow, there will be even more pressure on state houses and members of Congress to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Of course, that is just the first step. We must make the White House realize how important the 'Palestinian issue' is to the American people.

Team AAI

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