July/August 1995, pgs. 69-70

Arab American Activism

By Greg Noakes

Washington Report Honored

Ambassador Andrew I. Killgore, publisher, and Richard H. Curtiss, executive editor, of the Washington Report on Middle Affairs were honored at a June 16 dinner sponsored by the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development and the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine at the Georgetown University faculty club in Washington, DC. The two former foreign service officers, co-founders in 1982 of the American Educational Trust (AET), which publishes the magazine, received plaques from Jerusalem Fund chairman Hisham Sharabi in recognition of their "tireless efforts to educate and inform the American public on vital issues pertaining to the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict."

Professor Sharabi made the presentation on behalf of the board of directors of the Jerusalem Fund, which was founded by Palestinian-Americans to support educational and social development in Palestine, and research and education in the United States. Dr. Sharabi, who is professor of European intellectual history and Omar al-Mukhtar professor of Arab Cultural History at Georgetown University, noted that Killgore and Curtiss served for many years without pay to produce a monthly magazine that now has the highest paid circulation of any Middle East-centered publication in North America. The American Educational Trust received an award from the National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) in 1993 and Killgore and Curtiss both received individual awards from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in 1992, from the Council for the National Interest (CNI) and Partners for Peace in 1993, and from the United Muslims of America and the Islamic Association for Palestine in North America in 1994. Killgore was U.S. ambassador to the state of Qatar and Curtiss was chief inspector of the U.S. Information Agency when both retired from the foreign service in 1980.

Arab Americans Condemn U.S. Veto

The United States' decision to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution criticizing Israel for its expropriation of Palestinian land in Jerusalem drew sharp rebukes from Arab-American organizations. Executive Director Khalil Jahshan of the National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) said the veto "truly indicates that this administration has placed domestic political considerations ahead of its commitment to peace and justice in the Middle East," and claimed the action "makes a mockery of any U.S. claim to fairness and objectivity on this matter and other aspects of the peace process." The Association of Arab-American University Graduates (AAUG) also condemned the U.S. stance, with AAUG President Ziad Asali arguing, "The reasons justifying the veto are hollow and reflect narrow electoral considerations." Both Jahshan and Asali said the veto could deal the peace process "a mortal blow."

ATFL Plans Congressional Trip

The American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) is preparing the first visit in many years of a U.S. congressional delegation to Lebanon in what the organization termed "a direct and highly visible rejection of the State Department's ban on travel by U.S. citizens to Lebanon." ATFL says that while Secretary of State Warren Christopher claims the ban is in place for security concerns, in reality "the reasons are political."

Chairman Thomas Nassif argues that the members of Congress who visit Lebanon on the ATFL-sponsored trip "will become Lebanon's best advocates." The preliminary itinerary includes meetings with high-level Lebanese officials, businesspeople and religious leaders; a tour of Beirut and a briefing on reconstruction efforts there; and visits to all parts of Lebanon except the Israeli-occupied "security zone" in the south of the country. For more information, contact ATFL, 2213 M St., NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC, 20037, tel. (202) 223-9333, fax (202) 223-1399.

Palestinian American Chamber of Commerce Opens Doors

Many observers say the success of the Middle East peace process hinges on an improvement in the standard of living in the Palestinian autonomous areas, and that such an improvement can come about only through private investment from abroad. If so, the newly opened Palestinian American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) could prove to be a vital catalyst for peace.

The Chamber, under the direction of President Nabiel Fareed (New York) and Chairman Mohamed Salem El-Kedwa (Gaza), seeks to bring together U.S. and Palestinian exporters, importers and investors while providing interested companies with information on doing business in Palestine. The Chamber also offers legal services such as legalization of documents and the issuance of certificates of Palestinian nationality for U.S.-based residents of Gaza and Jericho applying for Palestinian passports.

As one of its initial projects, the PACC recently published a 1995 Palestinian Directory containing contact information for all Palestinian businesses operating in the West Bank and Gaza. For information on the Chamber's activities or to become a member, contact PACC, One World Trade Center, Suite 4073, New York, NY, 10048, tel. (212) 488-8475 or (516) 673-8071.

Palestinians in Lebanon Discussed

The Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine hosted Executive Director Leila Zakharia of the Association of Najdeh, the largest Palestinian development and relief organization in Lebanon, on June 23 for a discussion on "Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Their Future in Light of the Ongoing Peace Process." Zakharia criticized the failure of the Oslo accords to address the needs of diaspora Palestinians, especially the 350,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The only options for Palestinians under the Oslo accords are resettlement, absorption and transfer, according to Zakharia. The right of return to Palestine—considered a basic human right by 75 percent of the Palestinians interviewed in an informal poll—was removed from the table during the negotiations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles, she pointed out. She added that although the Palestinian refugee problem is at the heart of the Arab-Israeli dispute, it has been deferred under the Oslo agreement. Because "the Palestinian refugee question has been omitted at every level of the Oslo negotiations," she declared, "it is clear to all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon that the peace process bypasses them."

Zakharia's outlook for the future of Palestinians in Lebanon was grim. The inability of relief organizations to provide for the refugees has increased in recent months and their future is uncertain. Zakharia stated that "we as NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are currently incapable of coping with the needs of the Palestinian community in Lebanon," and "the only way to receive funds for development purposes is to agree to be 'integrated' into Lebanon." Regarding the possibility of resettling Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Zakharia stated that "no one should have the illusion that the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is the least bit possible."

Pacific Chamber Considers Arab World Business Opportunities

The U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (Pacific) sponsored a luncheon address on "New Business Opportunities in Today's Arab World" by Dr. Khalid Abdalla, the chief U.S. representative of the League of Arab States. The speech, which was held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco and was attended by business leaders and a number of Arab diplomats, was Abdalla's first appearance before a West Coast business audience. Before his recent arrival in Washington, Abdalla worked at the League headquarters in Cairo, specializing in economics and public policy. For information about upcoming Chamber activities, contact the U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (Pacific), P.O. Box 422218, San Francisco, CA, 94142, tel. (415) 398-9200, fax (415) 398-7111.

Opposition to Anti-Terror Legislation

Arab-American groups continued their efforts to block congressional anti-terrorism legislation, arguing that the bills under consideration violate civil rights and pose a major threat to the Arab-American community. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Chairman Hamzi Moghrabi charged, "This bill is anti-Arab, not anti-terrorist. It is a shame that in our country, which prides itself on its protection of individual freedoms, a bill so threatening to these fundamental freedoms could be passed." The Arab American Institute (AAI) is distributing an informational booklet on the legislation entitled "Preserving America's Freedoms." In the booklet, AAI warns, "When the Bill of Rights becomes a casualty in any war, we have already been defeated."

NAAA Opposes Embassy Transfer

The National Association of Arab Americans is asking concerned readers to contact their representatives in Congress, as well as President Bill Clinton, to voice their opposition to proposed Senate and House legislation requiring the transfer of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem no later that May 31, 1999. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS) and Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA), further require that construction of the embassy in Jerusalem begin no later than Dec. 31, 1996 and declare that "it is the policy of the United States that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel." An NAAA "Action Alert" says that "legislation advocating the move of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would destabilize the region and undermine the arduous peace negotiations that have been taking place between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel by prejudging the issue." For more information, contact NAAA, 1212 New York Ave., NW, Suite 1225, Washington, DC, 20005, tel. (202) 842-1840, fax (202) 842-1614.

PAS Holds Seventh Annual Walkathon

The Palestine Aid Society held its seventh annual "Walk for Palestine" on June 3 in eight U.S. cities, though walks at five other sites were rained out and had to be rescheduled. Participants distributed thousands of fact sheets detailing economic conditions, land confiscation and human rights violations in the occupied territories. The march, in addition to raising funds for humanitarian projects in the West Bank and Gaza, marked the 28th anniversary of Israel's seizure of the occupied territories. For more information, contact PAS, 2025 Eye St., NW, Suite 1020, Washington, DC, 20006, tel. (202) 728-9425, fax (202) 728-0625. (The September issue of the Washington Report will include photographs from walk sites around the U.S.)