Washington Watch Articles From 2023
3 Years After the Beirut Port Explosion: Still No Justice
On August 4, 2020, I was bracing for my 53rd wedding anniversary—the first following the death of my wife, Eileen—when news broke of a massive explosion in the Port of Beirut. Thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate, stored in the port’s grain silos, detonated causing the largest non-nuclear blast in modern times. The death toll was 240, with more than 7,000 injured and 300,000 left homeless.
NATO’s Caution Was Right
At the recently concluded NATO summit, while member states displayed continued resolve to provide Ukraine the material and political support needed to counter Russia’s assault, they would not agree to Prime Minister Zelenskyy’s demand to an expedited Ukrainian entry into NATO.
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.
Why Jackson’s Foreign Policy Was Unique
This week, I traveled to Chicago for a two-day reunion of Jesse Jackson’s historic 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. I was invited to speak on unique contributions he made to America’s foreign policy debates.
Questions Regarding the Moral Underpinnings of US Foreign Policy
Two recent and seemingly unrelated news stories raise serious questions about whether any consistent values undergird American foreign policy. One involves the US response to attacks by Israeli settlers on the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya. The other is about the Biden administration’s considering shipping cluster bomb munitions to Ukraine.
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.
Focus on the Trump Cult
Much has already been written regarding the indictments against former President Donald Trump. The crimes he is alleged to have committed have been examined. And his defense that this is a partisan political attack to derail his candidacy has been thoroughly critiqued.
Big Issues That Won’t Be Discussed in 2024
No sooner has one American election cycle ended than another begins. Those just elected begin raising money for the next round, while their consultants get busy advising them on which issues will be good for their reelection. As a result, the focus of our political debates and elections are more often than not driven by crass posturing geared toward a candidate’s personal or partisan advantage and less by serious policy concerns that serve our current and future needs.
New Course for Ukraine
In recent weeks, there have been a number of irresponsible op-eds pressing the Biden administration to supply more advanced US weapons to Ukraine, arguing that the only acceptable outcome to the conflict is a “total Russian defeat.” It is maddening how often these “pundits” have wrongly sought to justify the expanded use of force in conflict zones.
How Arab Americans Will Vote in 2024
Twenty years ago, in the lead-up to the 2004 elections, the Arab American Institute (AAI) hosted a Democratic presidential forum that was attended by the eight major candidates who were running that year.
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.
Looks Like Biden/Trump Replay in 2024
A 2024 Biden-Trump presidential campaign rematch may not be the contest that most Americans want. But in all likelihood, it will be the contest they’ll get.
End the Scourge of Profiling Arabs and Muslims
Twenty years ago, Americans were caught up in the drama of the early stages of the disastrous war on Iraq. While that was unfolding, Arabs and Muslims in the US were also reeling from George W. Bush’s assault on their civil liberties.
Rev. Jackson’s Role in Arab American Empowerment
Forty years ago, I was at an Arab American dinner event with Rev. Jesse Jackson when he leaned over and said to me, “I’m running for President and I want you to join my campaign staff.” My immediate reaction was to be honored, yet conflicted.
Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month
On March 31st, President Joseph Biden issued a formal proclamation designating April as Arab American Heritage Month. That Mr. Biden took this step is significant, marking a turning point in our decades-long effort to secure recognition and respect for our community.
Donald Trump vs. America
This article is not about the many pending criminal investigations and/or indictments facing former President Donald Trump on local, state, and federal levels.
20 Years After Iraq: No Accountability and No Lessons Learned
It’s tragic and deeply distressing that twenty years after the U.S. launched its disastrous invasion of Iraq that the ignorance, lies, and cruelty of that war have never been acknowledged.