Washington Watch Articles From 2025
Lebanese Immigrants in Utica: Telling Our American Stories
This past week, as guest of a veterans’ group, I traveled to Iowa to deliver remarks on Armistice Day, the day commemorating the end of World War I. Instead of offering comments typical of the day, focusing on those young soldiers who served, fought, and died, my remarks dealt with the impact of that war—in particular on the people of the Arab World, and on the Arab American community. I titled my speech: “How ‘the war to end all wars’ planted the seeds for a century of conflict.”
Remembering the War That Didn’t End All Wars
This past week, as guest of a veterans’ group, I traveled to Iowa to deliver remarks on Armistice Day, the day commemorating the end of World War I. Instead of offering comments typical of the day, focusing on those young soldiers who served, fought, and died, my remarks dealt with the impact of that war—in particular on the people of the Arab World, and on the Arab American community. I titled my speech: “How ‘the war to end all wars’ planted the seeds for a century of conflict.”
Arabs: The Weak Link in the US Civil Liberties Chain
For decades now, Arabs, in particular Palestinians, and supporters of Palestinian rights have been the weak link in the civil liberties chain. During this period, when a US president or Congress has sought to take measures curtailing a range of civil liberties, they would exploit the perception of the danger posed by Arabs to justify their actions.
Don’t Scapegoat Arab Americans
There’s an insidious blame game occurring on social media. Whenever President Donald Trump takes one of his outrageous actions, Arab Americans are subjected to a flood of abusive messages.
An Arab American Assessment of Biden's Failures
As Joseph Biden’s presidency comes to an end, his National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, and now Biden himself have been making an effort to put a pretty face on their disastrous performance in the Middle East.