Dear Friend,

During his State of the Union, President Biden called for a six-week ceasefire while offering no comments on curbing or conditioning U.S. funding of the Israeli military despite the ongoing genocide. And instead of demanding Israel open crossings for aid to be delivered, President Biden announced a U.S. military mission to establish a port off the coast of Gaza for aid delivery—a move called a “glaring distraction” [[link removed]] by Doctors without Borders. This after the US dropped aid packages into Gaza last week. The administration continues to fail to respond to the crisis in Palestine and more and more American people are expressing concern.

President Biden knows he is facing the greatest threat to his political career because of his policies in Gaza and complicity with Israel's war crimes. Last week we saw a hugely successful protest vote in Michigan, where 101,000+ Michiganders voted Uncommitted in the Democratic primaries. On Super Tuesday, Uncommitted got 29% in Hawaii, 19% in Minnesota, 9% in Massachusetts and Colorado, and 8% in Tennessee. North Carolina, which has a 'No Preference’ option, received over 88,000 votes, about 13% of the primary vote.

American voters are telling our elected officials that their call for a ceasefire and getting aid into Gaza is not fleeting nor is it going away. Gaza is increasingly becoming one of the key issues in the November election. Not just for Palestinian and Arab Americans - but for Black, Hispanic, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, and young voters of conscience.

For our part, AAI ran the non-partisan Yalla Vote Arabic/English Hotline for Arab American voters as we always do. Call takers were moved to tears by voters who asked for their polling location and then added, unprompted, that they would “cast a vote against genocide.”

These numbers from states with smaller Arab American populations than Michigan, and without well-funded organized campaigns, have shocked pundits and the media alike - and seemed to shock Biden too. The American people want a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the occupation. For months, we have been protesting in the streets, contacting members of Congress, and calling the White House. Now, people are using the ballot box to tell President Biden: stop the unfolding genocide in Gaza.

Jim made the rounds in the media this week to discuss just how important the Uncommitted voters are in this primary season and the impact their message can have in getting a ceasefire in Gaza. Jim appeared on Al Jazeera's [[link removed]] Inside Story, BBC [[link removed]] , VOA [[link removed]] , and WPKN Between the Lines [[link removed]] .

AAI Policy Counsel Margaret Lowry met with officials from the Office and Management and Budget and the Census Bureau on changes to the Federal Government’s collection of data on race and ethnicity. We continue to advocate for an inclusive Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) category that would alleviate the undercount of Arab Americans and allow our community access to better resources and representation.

We are also pleased to note that our friends at the National Arab American Bar Association have officially launched the organization. NAABA started as a project of AAI in 2019, and we’re proud to see the association grown into an independent, community-led resource for Arab American Attorneys! You can learn more about the organization and membership at their website here [[link removed]] .

Finally, just in case it was not covered by mainstream media in your area (highly likely given the pro-Israel media coverage we’ve seen), President Biden’s motorcade was met with protestors blocking an intersection and successfully delaying the presidential motorcade from arriving at the Capitol on time. It is heartening to see the continued and strong opposition to the Biden Administration’s unconditional support to Israeli war crimes. American’s voices are loud and numerous.

Thank you for being in this with us.

Regards,

Team AAI

Arab American Institute Foundation
1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006
United States
unsubscribe: [link removed]