Washington Watch Articles From 2025
Trump’s War on History and Education
Significant attention and/or concern has been generated by President Donald Trump’s early Executive Orders and actions.
The Damage Being Done
The combined efforts of President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, and pro-Israel groups, like the Anti-Defamation League, have declared war on the liberal ideals of freedom of speech and assembly and the very idea of the university.
Three Decades Ago: What Gaza Might Have Been
When I first heard President Donald Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” scheme, it brought back memories of the hopes Palestinians had three decades ago during the heyday of the Oslo Accords. Back then, I was serving as co-chair of “Builders for Peace,” a project launched by Vice President Al Gore to encourage American businesses to invest in the Palestinian economy to support the fledgling peace process.
Musk’s Attack on Us Was Wrong and Dangerously Irresponsible
This past week began on a deeply disturbing note. Elon Musk reposted on X (formerly Twitter) a dangerously false attack on more than a dozen American entities who had received USAID or State Department grants over the past decade.
Comparing Trump’s First and Second Terms
Among the significant differences between Donald Trump’s first term as president in 2017 and his return to the White House in 2025, this time around he appears more in control and better prepared. And despite the drastic measures of his first weeks in office, the opposition he is facing appears more subdued and less focused.
US Blank-Check Support for Israel Not Only Enabled Genocide
A combination of pro-Israel advocacy groups and political action committees, including right-wing Christian fundamentalists, neoconservative hawks, and weak-kneed liberals, have not only enabled Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians—they’ve done so much more.
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.
What Trump’s Threat to Clean Out Gaza Means
President Donald Trump’s “shock and awe” assault on virtually every major institution in Washington has been, to a degree, successful. There’s a perverse logic behind his radical cabinet appointments, widespread firings and threats to the federal workforce, and his seemingly scattershot Executive Orders that upset apple-carts up and down the street.
Can This Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire Bring Peace?
There are two realities that must be confronted in any consideration of “What’s next for Gaza?” The first is that it would be naïve and risky to put too much faith in this current ceasefire.
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.
Observations on Carter’s Funeral and Trump’s Return
This past week, Washington DC was witness to a stark study in contrasts: The solemn dignity involved in the nation’s farewell to former President Jimmy Carter and the blustery antics accompanying former President Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House.
Foreign Manipulation of the Arab East Must End
There’s no two ways about it, the Arab East is a mess. It is weak, divided, directionless, locked in multiple conflicts, and not in control of its own destiny. This isn’t new. It’s been this way for a century, with non-Arab powers preying off the region in pursuit of their own aspirations.