Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Friday, August 23, 2024
The speech that Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Palestinian American and Democrat, had hoped to give America at the DNC 2024
My name is Ruwa Romman, and I’m honored to be the first Palestinian elected to public office in the great state of Georgia and the first Palestinian to ever speak at the Democratic National Convention. My story begins in a small village near Jerusalem, called Suba, where my dad’s family is from. My mom’s roots trace back to Al Khalil, or Hebron. My parents, born in Jordan, brought us to Georgia when I was eight, where I now live with my wonderful husband and our sweet pets.
Growing up, my grandfather and I shared a special bond. He was my partner in mischief—whether it was sneaking me sweets from the bodega or slipping a $20 into my pocket with that familiar wink and smile. He was my rock, but he passed away a few years ago, never seeing Suba or any part of Palestine again. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.
This past year has been especially hard. As we’ve been moral witnesses to the massacres in Gaza, I’ve thought of him, wondering if this was the pain he knew too well. When we watched Palestinians displaced from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other I wanted to ask him how he found the strength to walk all those miles decades ago and leave everything behind.
But in this pain, I’ve also witnessed something profound—a beautiful, multifaith, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition rising from despair within our Democratic Party. For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety. That’s why we are here—members of this Democratic Party committed to equal rights and dignity for all. What we do here echoes around the world.
They’ll say this is how it’s always been, that nothing can change. But remember Fannie Lou Hamer—shunned for her courage, yet she paved the way for an integrated Democratic Party. Her legacy lives on, and it’s her example we follow.
But we can’t do it alone. This historic moment is full of promise, but only if we stand together. Our party’s greatest strength has always been our ability to unite. Some see that as a weakness, but it’s time we flex that strength.
Let’s commit to each other, to electing Vice President Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur. Let’s fight for the policies long overdue—from restoring access to abortions to ensuring a living wage, to demanding an end to reckless war and a ceasefire in Gaza. To those who doubt us, to the cynics and the naysayers, I say, yes we can—yes we can be a Democratic Party that prioritizes funding our schools and hospitals, not for endless wars. That fights for an America that belongs to all of us—Black, brown, and white, Jews and Palestinians, all of us, like my grandfather taught me, together.
Mother Jones illustration; Photos courtesy of Noah Lanard and Nate Gowdy
A Palestinian American’s Place Under the Democrats’ Big Tent? By Ta-Nehisi Coates in Vanity Fair
"Last summer I spent ten days traveling the lands under Israeli rule. What I saw was hauntingly familiar. For as sure as my ancestors were born into a country where none of them was the equal of any white man, Israel is a state where no Palestinian is ever the equal of any Jewish person. In Israel itself, I met with Palestinians who were nominally empowered, with the right to vote. But whereas their Jewish countrymen could pass on their citizenship to their non-Israeli spouses, these Palestinians could not pass on citizenship to their spouses born a few miles away, in the West Bank or Gaza. Moreover, discrimination against them was perfectly legal. Frequently they were the subject of outright racism, as when Netanyahu warned his country during the 2016 election that “the right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves.”
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are packed onto an archipelago of land. There they have enjoyed local elections through the Palestinian Authority. But that authority is still subordinate to Israeli rule,
which Palestinians can neither vote for or against. Meanwhile, their
neighbors, Israeli settlers, enjoy the full benefits of Israeli
citizenship. And then there is Gaza, which had alarmed
human rights advocates and public-health officials well before last
October. For 17 years, the people of Gaza have been trapped by a
blockade that extends across air, sea, and land. Gaza is commonly
referred to as the largest open-air prison in the world, and it is here
that so many American bombs have been dropped.
Israel and its defenders often claim that it is the “only democracy in the Middle East.” But what I saw was an ethnocracy, where half the people are first-class citizens, and the other half are something less. And this is a system sponsored and endorsed by the United States of America. The endorsement is not contradictory. For most of its history, America too was an ethnocracy in democratic clothing. The ostensible triumph over that old system, which we call Jim Crow, is one of the most uplifting stories America tells itself, one that has been repeatedly invoked at the DNC. How odd I find it that a people, presently brutalized by a similar system, whose relatives are being erased by that system’s wanton violence, are also being erased from the stage."
A Palestinian American’s Place Under the Democrats’ Big Tent?
"The way they talk about the Palestinians “finally realizing their dream” of dignity and self-determination like they haven’t spent years and billions of dollars obstructing that dream, like all we need is a TED talk on goal-setting and time management" Susan Muaddi Darraj
 |
| On social media, Rashida Tlaib, described the description of "joy" at the convention as "a false narrative". |
Susan Muaddi Darraj 
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
The RED LINE happened way back in 1948 when Zionist terrorists murdered Palestinians, destroyed Palestinian homes and villages, and pushed countless Palestinians into poverty and forced exile.
Dear America,
Biden provides the bombshells, Republicans autograph the bombs... and American companies provide the jet-fuel to Israel as Israeli lies and toxic propaganda inspire America's elected Representatives to propose that Americans serving in the IDF's genocidal war against Palestinian men, women,and children be awarded U.S. service member benefits.
It is bad enough that American taxpayers are already forced to fund
The Jewish State's cruel shenanigans- the Apartheid Wall and the illegal
settlements, as well as Israel's extensive and invasive propaganda war
aimed at interfering in American elections so that pro-Israel story
lines will continue to flourish- swatting away any and all sympathy and
support for Palestine (& UNWRA.)
Zionist students on American college campuses claim antisemitism is
everywhere and they don't feel safe, inspiring our Congress to harass College presidents for allowing peaceful pro-Palestine
protests on campuses. Meanwhile
Israel has bombed and destroyed every university, as well as
multiple schools and hospitals in Gaza. Did the Palestinian
children killed by Israel feel safe as American made bombs
pulverized their homes?
Israel’s military offensive in Rafah has put the lives of 600,000 displaced Palestinian children at risk, according to UNICEF, with many now malnourished or disabled.
America's mainstream news and our elected leadership are obsessed with promoting Zionists and Zionism- and Israel's blatantly racist war on the indigenous people of Palestine.
You are leadership- and you are leading people astray.
The RED LINE happened way back in 1948 when Zionist terrorists murdered Palestinians, destroyed Palestinian homes and villages, and pushed countless Palestinians into poverty and forced exile. 76 years later a new generation of Zionist terrorists are bombing refugee camps that only exist due to Israel's racist refusal to respect international law and basic human rights, including but not limited to every refugee's right to return to original homes and lands.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes
Reschenthaler, Miller Introduce Legislation to Support American Citizens Fighting in Israel
Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry
Biden provided the bombs, Republicans autograph them... Nikki Haley signs artillery shells in Israel: 'Finish them! America ♡ Israel!' ... "Imperial feminism, everyone. A message written in purple marker, like she's doodling in someone's yearbook instead of co-signing a genocide" Susan Muaddi Darraj
Cut the supply line of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, says rights group with the aim of “genocide prevention by third states, companies and civil society actors”
West Bank village, proudly self-reliant, now faces wartime hostility [from Israel]
Israel’s military offensive in Rafah has put the lives of 600,000 displaced children at risk, according to UNICEF, with many now malnourished or disabled... At least 36,171 Palestinians have been killed and 81,420 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7.
Israeli forces have bombed a tent camp housing displaced people in a designated safe zone in Rafah, killing 45 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
UN rapporteur urges states to cut ties, impose sanctions on Israel UN expert Francesca Albanese is calling for sanctions on Israel until it complies with the ICJ's ruling to halt its Rafah offensive.
Prairie Schooner Fusion #12 Archives: Palestinian poets and poets from the back issues of the Schooner collaborate on a special portfolio of poetry exploring the theme of “Archive”...
217 DAYS OF ISRAEL BOMBING GAZA: 14,500 Palestinian Children Killed by Israel... 493 Palestine Healthcare workers killed by Israel... 78,514 Palestinians injured by Israel & so far ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WAR CRIMES
As one war rages in Gaza, in the West Bank another goes unnoticed. Military operations, destruction, movement restrictions, and poverty generate fear, uncertainty, and anxiety among Palestine Refugee communities.
The ICC's request for arrest warrants has created a diplomatic dilemma for Western member states: do they support Israel or international law?
Israel raids, forces medical staff to leave Gaza Al-Awda Hospital... "More than 35,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 80,000 others injured since October."
'Where are our loved ones?': Palestinians in search of missing family members amid Gaza war
Decades of spying and repression: the anti-Palestinian origins of American Islamophobia - It’s often assumed that Islamophobia is the driving force behind US anti-Palestinian bigotry. In fact, it’s the other way around
Diplomatic Missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah condemn escalating settler violence and displacement during visit to Northern Jordan Valley communities
US surveillance of pro-Palestinian speech has a direct line to McCarthyism - Chip Gibbons in The Guardian
The UN says 1.1 million people in the coastal strip – nearly half the population – face catastrophic levels of hunger, and that the territory is on the brink of famine.
Palestinian refugees in Gaza- AFSC Defending a displaced people
Apartheid and Genocide ARE NOT JEWISH VALUES
Israel-Gaza war Biden wants progressives to believe he’s reining in Israel. He isn’t. Biden will be remembered as a president who could have restrained Israel but instead made the US complicit in this war- Mohamad Bazzi
Dear President Biden... Connect The Dots
An ICJ Excerpt: "This genocide takes place within the context of the ongoing Nakba –– the 76th anniversary of which was celebrated yesterday –– the continued forced displacement of the Palestinian people, the erasure of Palestinian presence in Palestine and replacement with colonial settlers –– a criminal process entrenched and maintained by 76 years of apartheid and 56 years of illegal belligerent occupation... "
Palestine Nakba 1948-2024
Anti-Defamation League ramps up lobbying to promote controversial definition of antisemitism : Federal records show a dramatic spending increase that critics say is primarily intended to punish criticism of Israel and target pro-Palestinian groups
On Nakba Day, as Palestinians run for their lives, Biden advances $1 billion in arms sales to Israel – Day 221
From 1948 to 2024, three Palestinian sisters speak of endless Nakba For Dalal
‘Barbaric’: Palestinian lorry drivers recount settlers’ attack on Gaza aid convoy- Israeli soldiers escorting convoy accused of doing nothing to stop widely condemned incident
The Nakba Explained- May 15th is the day commemorating the Nakba—a term used to denote Palestinians’ forced expulsion from their homeland by Zionist forces in 1948.
Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour reflects on the impact of the Gaza war, the life and legacy of his friend Fathi Ghaben, and the role of art under occupation.
Palestinians are living a new Nakba: survivor of 1948 says
76 years after #Nakba, Palestinians continue to be forcibly displaced.
Nakba yesterday, Nakba today: The story of my grandmother's two keys- Ghefreh has lived through two Nakbas, 1948 and today. Her grandson Emad Moussa tells her story of twinned displacement and how they've now blurred into one.
There are enough weapons of war and destruction already on planet earth.
Please stop aiding and abetting Israeli insanity. Full Stop.
Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?
The UN Mediator for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, believed that the Palestinians displaced had a right to return to their homes and wrote several UN reports to that effect.
"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries."
Bernadotte
was assassinated on Friday 17 September 1948 by members of the
group Lehi, a Zionist terrorist
organization, commonly known in the West as the Stern Gang
"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..." https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
My letter to CSM RE Bending the curve toward peace #Peace #Palestine #Israel #HumanRights #HOPE #freedom #equality #justice #security #democracy.
& Media ethics under fire.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/upfront-blog/2016/0320/Bending-the-curve-toward-peace
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0321/How-does-Trump-get-so-much-air-time-Media-ethics-under-fire.
Dear Editor,
( Media ethics under fire: "Last week, an analysis in The New York Times found that Trump had amassed nearly $1.9 billion worth of free media coverage over the course of the campaign, even as his campaign spends less by far than most every other candidate... Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, received $746 million " CSM 3-21-2016)
This week politicians like Republican Trump and Democrat Clinton have been energetically seeking campaign funds and free media exposure by pandering to the Israel lobby. Their "pro-Israel" talking points published and quoted by many media outlets worldwide, promote a totally misleading narrative about security, the Middle East, and who exactly objects to and is best able and equipped to defeat terrorism and ISIS/Daesh.
It has been a huge relief to me to have free online access (and also a snail mail subscription) to CSM where revealing stories like the recent one about heroic Um Qusay, the Iraqi widow's resistance which has became a symbol of hope provide a much more compassionate, intelligent, optimistic and helpful understanding of the situation in the Middle East than can found at an AIPAC event.
I have also been delighted to see multiple CSM mentions of Dean Obeidallah and Negin Farsad and their delightful documentary "The Muslims are Coming", most recently illustrating "Lifting the stigma on American Muslims"
CSM stories like Why these New York millionaires want to raise their own taxes ("to help address poverty and rebuild failing infrastructure") and many other stories on many various topics break down negative stereotypes about various categories of people, offering up real hope (and realistic ideas), and wisely reminding us all of the real meaning of words like freedom, equality, justice, security ... and democracy.
Two days ago I read CSM's 3-20-2016 Bending the curve toward peace:
From Southeast Asia to Latin America, past conflicts -- conflicts that once consumed the world's attention -- have been overcome. Today's will be as well. by John Yemma... and that column haunts me - in a good way... "The point is that many of yesterday’s conflicts – so difficult when living through them, so vexing when thinking about how to solve them – have been overcome. Today’s? A small group claiming to speak for more than a billion Muslims is using terror to oppress parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Unlike the recent conflicts in Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Balkans, virtually the entire world is united against these jihadists – Muslims and non-Muslims, Americans, Russians, Chinese. This war will be won sooner or later."
That is quite frankly an astounding thought, and an enlightening idea.
I also applaud last week's article highlighting the very admirable Palestinian Hanan al-Hroub (How a Palestinian teacher from Bethlehem just won $1 million) including this telling- and inspiring, enlightening- quote: “I tell all the teachers,” says Hroub in her acceptance speech, “whether they are Palestinian or around the world: ‘Our job is humane, its goals are noble. We must teach our children that our only weapon is knowledge and education.”
Please keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES
"The future is up to us. As we support justice, tolerance, and equality, we quietly bend the curve of history, and the future aligns with the deep, powerful, eternal peace that surpasses understanding." John Yemma CSM 3-20-2016 Bending the curve toward peace:
From Southeast Asia to Latin America, past conflicts -- conflicts that once consumed the world's attention -- have been overcome. Today's will be as well.
"Ms. Hroub was recognized for using games and playful activities to help local children learn in their violent environments – a program she calls "No to Violence." Hroub was chosen as the winner Sunday from a group of 10 finalists, which included teachers across all disciplines from Australia, Africa, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom." How a Palestinian teacher from Bethlehem just won $1 million ... “I tell all the teachers, whether they are Palestinian or around the world: ‘Our job is humane, its goals are noble. We must teach our children that our only weapon is knowledge and education.”
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world"
STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Maen Rashid Areikat: Throwing Logic Out the Window
The only way for the United States to preserve its credibility in a region full of turmoil and upheavals is to have the courage to hold Israel accountable to its actions. American politicians cannot continue to assign blame to Palestinians for Israel's intransigence and lack of interest in peace. No election campaigns or political platforms could morally justify supporting a brutal military occupation that continues to exact a heavy toll on millions of Palestinians and violates their human rights on a daily basis. Standing up for your values, principles, and religion requires opposing oppression and injustice. This is the least the American people expect of their politicians."
Peaceniks in Palestine
The PLO’s U.S. ambassador slams Mitt Romney’s leaked comments on the Middle East.
BY MAEN RASHID AREIKAT | SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
My letters RE Rachel Corrie & American Elections
 |
To be clear: Return... a poem by Anne Selden Annab in Growing Gardens for Palestine |
RE: GOP foreign policy shows it's easy to talk tough
http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/trudy_rubin/20120830_Worldview__GOP_foreign_policy_shows_it_s_easy_to_talk_tough.html
Dear Editor,
Trudy Rubin hits the nail on the head regarding GOP foreign-policy dreams and the political realities..."And as for Israel - for which the Republican platform pledges "unequivocal support" - a Romney White House would also be faced with the tragic realities that Obama confronted."
Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict with a fair and just negotiated settlement based on full respect for international law and universal human rights will not erase the tragic realities and all the many negative ramifications created by that conflict but it will help disarm the religious extremism and bigotry inspired by that conflict.
Sincerely
Anne Selden Annab
***********
RE: Israeli court rules military not at fault in U.S. activist Rachel Corrie’s death
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-court-rules-military-not-at-fault-in-activist-rachel-corries-death/2012/08/28/35d3ccbc-f116-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html
Dear Editor,
Thank you for publishing news concerning Rachel Corrie and her family's ongoing quest for a thorough, credible and transparent investigation by Israel. It is indeed a bad day for human rights, for humanity, for the rule of law and also for the country of Israel.... and for Palestine as Israel continues to demolish Palestinian homes and usurp Palestinian land.
It is a bad day for America too as candidates are rewarded for idolizing Israel and punished if they don't, essentially pressuring our politicians and pundits to become Israeli agents sabotaging fair and just negotiations to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Sincerely
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES
"Corrie's story has become a case study of the impunity with which the Israeli political and legal system treats its adversaries." Hussein Ibish
Guardian: Nick Hayes on the Rachel Corrie court verdict – cartoon
"What’s interesting about Jayous and the occupation’s effect on it is how the occupation doesn’t have its ABCs. The rules are random, inconsistent, unpredictable and bizarre. What works today at one gate, with one soldier may not work tomorrow, at the same gate and with the same soldier. Here, you can’t take anything for granted; everything depends on everything else." The Truth is Stranger than Fiction in Palestine
"The Palestinian youths, from Ras el-Amud in East Jerusalem, were out for an evening walk in West Jerusalem’s Zion Square when they heard “Death to the Arabs” and were set upon by a crowd. Julani’s friends escaped, but he fell and was beaten unconscious." CSM: Severe attack on Palestinian teen spotlights conflict's impact on Israeli youths
Breaking the Silence: More than 30 former Israeli soldiers have disclosed their experiences of the treatment of Palestinian children during military operations and arrests, pointing to a pattern of abuse.
Rachel Corrie
Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict: "It is the view of the United Nations that there is a responsibility not only on the parties themselves but on all member states to consider their action and their language in light of the goal,"
Hanan Ashrawi: Israeli incitement creating culture of impunity
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: "As a result, stability is conflated with peace and it is used to justify maintaining the status quo in the pretext of maintaining “peace”."
The Palestinian Authority thanks South Africa for the decision to label settlement products as "Occupied Palestinian Territory" rather than "Israel."
Violent attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property, mosques and farmland had increased by 150% over the past year.
'Separate and Unequal' is Unacceptable to Palestinians
"If you have to modify it, it isn't really a democracy."
Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries
Refugees and the Right of Return: "Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside. What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer - a decision must not be imposed upon them."
The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you