Washington Watch Articles From 2017
Trump's Jerusalem Decision: A Fatal and Fateful Blow
President Donald Trump's decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was irresponsible and dangerous for more reasons than I can count. Let me outline just a few of the principle concerns:
Arab, Turkish, and Iranian Opinions on Regional Conflicts
Most Arabs have little confidence in the Trump Administration's ability to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and many have lost hope that a resolution is even possible.
Palestinians: Victims of an Unjust US Law
Imagine that you are a victim of a violent crime or theft but are forbidden from reporting it because Congress has passed a law that not only prohibits you from reporting the crime, but threatens punishment if you dare to do it.
Balfour Declaration: A Convergence of Zionist Ambition and the British Imperial Enterprise
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in which Great Britain's Foreign Secretary, Lord Balfour, stated in a note to his colleague, Lord Rothchild, that "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object.
The Transformation of Jerusalem
Last week a group of Likud members and experts presented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a plan to carve up Arab Jerusalem in somewhat the same way that Hebron was dismembered.
The House That Bibi Built
For half of the past two decades Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel. Whatever his ultimate fate (given the ongoing criminal investigations he is currently facing), it is clear that he has had a profound impact on Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region.
The Strategy Palestinians Need to Develop
Three decades ago, I was invited to address a Palestinian American audience on the work that was needed to change American policy toward Palestinian rights.
Two Weakened Leaders
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a lot in common. Both are in trouble, confronting problems that are more legal than political. And as commentators, here and in Israel have noted, both have responded to their situation in quite similar ways.
Senate Bill 720: Making It a Crime to Support Palestinian Human Rights
It is fascinating to watch some US senators tripping over themselves as they attempt to defend their support for or opposition to proposed legislation that would make it a federal crime to support the international campaign to Boycott, Divest, or Sanction (BDS) Israel for its continued occupation of Palestinian lands.
The History Is Too Deep, the Pain Is Too Real
A week ago, a pro-Israel media monitoring group accused me of making "an unsubstantiated charge that Israel supporters are responsible" for discrimination, hate crimes, and the political exclusion of Arab Americans.
What “Land Day” Means
March 30, 1976 was a transformative moment in Palestinian history. On that day, Palestinian citizens of Israel organized and implemented a nation-wide strike to protest the Israeli government's plans to confiscate thousands of acres of Palestinian-owned land in the Galilee region.
Elevating Palestinians
It was 40 years ago that I co-founded the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC) and wrote "Palestinians, the Invisible Victims".