Washington Watch Articles From 2009
We Are Not Europe
In the wake of the Ft. Hood massacre and recent arrests involving some young men seeking association with dangerous international terrorist activity and others who appeared to be on the verge of carrying out terrorist actions in the U.S., questions have been raised by politicians and the media.
Israel’s Fictional Undivided Jerusalem
Israel’s near hysterical reaction to a Swedish proposal to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, their stubborn refusal to include East Jerusalem in their questionable “settlement freeze” and their defense of repressive policies imposed on Palestinians in the area of that holy city are framed in language that masks their real intent.
Another Tumultuous Week
Another tumultuous Washington week has come to a close and the dust has settled on President Obama’s Afghanistan speech. Critical issues were addressed, though little changed in our fractious political environment.
What Was He Thinking?
I do not make a practice of using this space to express my disagreements with other columnists, but a piece last week by Abdul Rahman al Rashid, was so off the mark that I cannot let it pass without comment.
Not Serious, Again
It was 1988, with the first Intifada in full bloom and the Palestine Liberation Organization in the lead up to their November 29th declaration of independence, when I met with a few members of the PLO Executive Committee to discuss their plans. "Is this serious?", I asked. "Absolutely", they assured me. "It will be like our 4th of July".
A Debate Worth Noting
A story universally missed last week was the extraordinary debate that occurred in Congress in advance of a vote on a resolution against the Goldstone Report.
Reflections on Fort Hood
I landed in London at 6:30 am (GMT) and turned on my Blackberry to find it flooded with emails sent while I had been in the air, flying home from the Middle East.
J Street Again
On October 25th the Arab American Institute and J Street convened a joint meeting, that brought leaders and activists from both communities together as an expression of our shared commitment to advance a just and comprehensive Middle East peace. Two nights later, my wife Eileen and I had the pleasure of attending the J Street Gala Banquet. Because it was such an extraordinary event, I want to share some observations about the night.
Together for Peace
On Sunday, October 25th, representatives of over three dozen Arab American and American Jewish community organizations met in Washington to make clear their shared commitment to a comprehensive Middle East peace. Hosted by J Street, which calls itself the US’s “pro-peace, pro-Israel lobby” and the Arab American Institute, “the research and policy arm of the Arab American community”, the event was joined by Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Goldstone: Discussed, but Not Read
The Goldstone Report is back, taking center stage in a raging international debate. What is most troubling, is not the circuitous route the Report took on its way to the United Nations Security Council.
The Challenge Yet to Come
With the dust having settled following President Obama's New York meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a sober assessment of what actually happened, and what may happen next, is in order.
A New Path of Palestinian Resistance
Despite the continuing horrors visited upon Palestinians, their deep political divide, relentless Israeli settlement expansion and more, there are glimmers of hope in the Palestinian skies.
The President's Game Changing Speech
Although President Obama's Wednesday night address to a special joint session of Congress may not have won the support of many of those hostile to his efforts to reform the nation's health care system, and exposed the depth of the nation's partisan divide, it was, nevertheless, a "game changer". Here's why.
Ramadan 2009: America and Islam
I had the distinct honor of being invited to address this year’s Iftar dinner at the Pentagon, together with Ms. Farah Pandith, the State Department’s Special Representative to Muslim Communities and Ms. Dalia Mogahed, of the Gallup Corporation. In attendance were over 125 American Muslims, members of every branch of the US military, and their guests from the White House, Congress and other government agencies.
Enough is Enough
It is more than ironic that at the very moment when the US is pressing Arab States to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel (including measures like:
Another Long Hot Summer
Summers are rarely kind to American Presidents. Despite Congress being in recess and Washington slowing to a quiet crawl, it is in August when issues heat up and boil over and when presidents appear to lose control of their agenda.
AIPAC's Proxy War on Obama
On August 12, 2008, President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor, to 16 individuals whom he described as "agents of change". Among the awardees were: Senator Edward Kennedy; former Congressman and Cabinet Secretary, the late Jack Kemp; and Grameen Bank founder, Muhammed Yunus.
Danger on the Right
It is, in the classic sense, a movement, not an organization, with no coherent structure, no creed or litmus test for membership. Rather, it represents disparate currents, born of transformative developments and traumatic events that have impacted the US in recent decades.
Obama’s Test
Barack Obama began his presidency in a rush to put out fires everywhere, at home and abroad. When some have criticized the new President, suggesting that he was “biting off more than he could chew,” his supporters would respond that he had no choice, asking “which challenge could he ignore?”—the collapse of the financial sector; a sagging economy; a health care crisis; two major wars; a web of secrecy masking not only violations of human rights and international law, but US law, as well; or a badly tarnished US image, world-wide.