Washington Watch Articles From 2021
Israel and the Religious Right: A Bad Bet
At a recent conference in Israel, Ron Dermer, former Israeli Ambassador to the US, was asked to respond to the criticism that during his tenure in Washington he focused more on courting conservatives than on liberal Americans.
The US Debate on Israel/Palestine Is Changing
In the 45 years since launching the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, I've witnessed more tragic wars than I can care to count and defends Palestinians against more heinous crimes than I can bear to list.
Lessons That Must Be Learned
On Wednesday, I was in the midst of running my weekly “Zoom chat” with readers of this column when the discussion was hacked and ended by a pro-Israel group playing loud songs in Hebrew.
The Big Question Posed by HRW’s Report
While reading Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) monumental report “A Threshold Crossed,” I felt a range of emotions. It also left me with one big question.
Acknowledging Genocide
As expected, US President Joseph Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide during the Ottoman Empire was greeted with relief by Armenian Americans and outrage by many Turks.
Arab Americans Demand Respect
This is Arab American Heritage Month and we are delighted that it has been celebrated by the State Department, dozens of state and local governments, and the Democratic Party.
The Present
We all owe Farah Nabulsi an enormous debt of gratitude. In a short 24-minute film, The Present, she has exposed the oppressive indecency of the Israeli occupation while telling the deeply moving story of a Palestinian family.
Mahmoud Abbas Should Step Down
With all due respect to his years of service, it is time for Mahmoud Abbas to step aside. He should not run for office in the upcoming Palestinian elections and he should cede the reins of Fateh to others.
Syria’s Decade in Hell
It’s been a decade since the conflict in Syria began, and the toll has been staggering. Over one-half million have been killed, a quarter of whom are civilians.
How Can We Be Silent?
At the conclusion of Israel’s fourth election in two years, the picture that emerges is as clear as mud.
Israel’s Election is All About Netanyahu
Israelis are going to the polls for the fourth time in two years. It’s a weird election, to be sure, in part because for some it’s so very important, while for others so very little is at stake.
US Policy Ignores Palestinian Human Rights
Over the years, the approach of most American policymakers toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been Israel-centric with near total disregard for the suffering endured by the Palestinian people.
My Advice to the January 6 Commission: Go Deep
I was pleased when I heard that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, was committed to creating a commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection.
The Senate Trial of Donald J. Trump
I’m writing this column in the midst of the Senate trial of Donald J. Trump.