Washington Watch Articles From 2023
Isolated
Events of the past week have highlighted how the US’ feckless indulgent behavior toward policies pursued by Israel have damaged America’s standing in the world. Two United Nations votes calling for a ceasefire in Gaza showed the US has been abandoned by most of our closest allies, many of whom are increasingly questioning our global leadership.
The US Needs to Say “No” to Israel and “Yes” to Palestine
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has attempted to pivot from its initial unconditional support for Israeli actions in Gaza by combining caution with a vague plan for “the day after.”
Definitions Matter
Almost two months into this monstrous conflict in Gaza and it is clear that the war is being fought not only on a battlefield but over the very terms that can be used to speak about it. Pope Francis discovered this last week when he described what was unfolding in Gaza as “going beyond war, this is terrorism,” and reportedly noted that “terrorism should not be used to justify terror.”
We Are on Precarious Ground
Several events that have occurred in the past few weeks should make us pay attention to the frightening reality we are in when it comes to freedom of speech regarding Israel/Palestine. We are on precarious ground.
Israel/Palestine Is Fracturing the Democratic Party
The war over Gaza has had an explosive and surprising impact on the cohesion of the Democratic coalition. For decades now, the American body politic has been fractured mainly over critical social and cultural issues ranging from race and gender to guns and immigration—more often than not with Republicans on one side and Democrats on the other. Only in rare instances have foreign policy concerns entered the equation and never in the way that Israel/Palestine has in recent weeks.
Can Biden Win Back Arab American Voters?
I’ve been organizing Arab Americans for almost a half century. For the past three decades, working with my brother, John Zogby, we've polled the community’s views on a range of political topics. I’ve learned to value polling because it opens a window and allows you to hear and understand what people are saying and what their views may portend for the future.
Silencing Debate
In recent years, US pro-Israel groups have been pursuing a multi-pronged strategy designed to stifle discourse about Israeli policy and Palestinian rights. They have done so because for the past three decades there has been an erosion of support for Israel, coupled with growing support for Palestinians.
Debunking “All Palestinians are Hamas”
There have been too many comments from Israeli political, military, and religious leaders suggesting that all Palestinians are legitimate targets because they support Hamas or that they voted for them and are, therefore, guilty of that group’s many crimes.
What Israel, Hamas, and the US Should Have Known
Looking at the unfolding horror in Gaza, I am reminded of two important lessons that should have been heeded by Hamas, Israel, and the US.
No Lessons Learned
It has been horrifying to watch this most recent iteration of wanton violence in the Israeli-Palestinian arena. But it should not have been unexpected. What can also now be expected is that the horrific murders carried out by Hamas on day one will be more than matched by Israel as it proceeds to use its massive military power to massacre thousands of captive Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip.
Reality Check on Saudi-Israel Normalization
There has been a great deal of commentary about a possible US-engineered Saudi-Israel normalization agreement: what it would actually do; whom it might benefit; and, most importantly, whether any such arrangement is even possible given current political realities in the US and Israel.
For Arab Americans, Blue is Not Blue
News last week that the US and Israel were about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) advancing Israel’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) shouldn’t have caught us by surprise. But it did. For months, we had been assured by various Biden Administration officials that Israel could not meet the requirements of the program. Concerns focused on the VWP’s statutory requirement that participant governments must guarantee full reciprocity to US citizens seeking entry - without regard to race, religion, or national origin.
At the UN Special Session on Palestine
Last week I was afforded the opportunity to address a special United Nations Security Council Session on Palestine. The invitation had been extended by the UAE UN Ambassador HE Lana Nusseibeh, in her capacity as president of the Security Council.
Baffling and Insulting
That some Biden administration officials appear to be in a rush to admit Israel into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows for mutual, short-term entry between participating countries and the U.S., is both baffling and insulting.
Nakba Denial
It is deeply troubling to see the lengths to which Israel and its hardline supporters will go to snuff out any recognition of Palestinian humanity.
Arab Opinion Reflects Regional Changes
In recent years, a significant juggling of relationships has occurred across the Arab World. After the debacle of Iraq and the dizzying, often incoherent shifts in American policy over the past 20 years, the U.S. is no longer the dominant player it once was. Russia and China have entered the region’s calculus as global powers of influence. And Iran, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and UAE have emerged as local powers making their presence felt.
Three Political Visits to Israel
During a 10-day stretch in April, there were three visits to Israel by prominent US political leaders. What made them noteworthy weren’t the visits themselves, but what they revealed about the evolving US-Israel relationship.