For the last half century, Arab politicians and
intellectuals have often talked about the need to create an Arab lobby
in the United States to advocate for Arab issues. Often, they attributed
the weakness of the Arab diplomatic position to the absence of Arab
advocacy groups that explain and clarify the Arabs’ legitimate concerns
and interests in the West, particularly in the United States. Often,
they attributed the strength of Israel and the unwavering support it
enjoys in the US to the strength of the American pro-Israel lobby and
its ability to serve the Jewish state.
There is no doubt that this is all true. It is
only recently that the Arabs have realized the importance of advocacy
organizations in the West, and the influence they have on politicians,
particularly in the United States. There are large numbers of Arabs
living in Western countries, but they lack organizational capacity. They
have been unable to create pressure groups that can advocate for
policies that would benefit their causes, or at least minimize the
damage done to Arab interests. Instead, they remain marginal players
despite the fact that they possess the requisite elements for political
influence – namely votes and funds – that could potentially be utilized
to further Arab causes.
The Arab publics have remained antagonistic and
wary of the West. For their part, Arab leaders resorted to mixed
messaging, or even double-speak, to justify dealing with the West to
their angry publics. The Arabs continued to believe that the West’s
positions can only be amended by force of arms, in spite of repeated,
concrete proof to the contrary. Arab hawks have achieved nothing on the
ground except recurring, constant defeats on all fronts, coupled with
loud, screeching media statements and “million man marches” in city
squares. In the meantime, Israel’s supporters worked quietly, and
exploited the Arabs’ weak points and ignorance about Western politics
and decision-making processes
to their own advantage.
To make things even worse, Arab hardliners
sought to silence all those who have chosen to follow the path of
persuasion and calm work in accordance with the rules of the political
game in the West. By doing so, the Arabs have squandered decades, along
with tremendous amounts of energy, skills and funds in quixotic
campaigns doomed to failure, self-defeat and backfiring. Meanwhile, many
chose to remain silent for fear of being branded traitors or worse.
In 2003, after years of marginalization and
suffering, a group of Arab Americans finally founded an organization
called the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP). They aimed to
improve the situation of Arab Americans and enable them to develop an
effective approach to working for the benefit of Arab causes in the
United States and elsewhere. The activities of this organization
gradually increased, as they started holding large events attended by
hundreds of American supporters of the Palestinian cause, including
Cabinet secretaries and other high-level officials.
This month marks the 10th anniversary of this
organization. Many see ATFP as blazing the trail for the creation of a
broad, genuinely effective Arab lobby that could advocate successfully
for Arab issues, particularly the Palestinian one, and gather supporters
and partners.
The founder and President of ATFP, Dr. Ziad
Asali, says that Arab communities in the United States have left
themselves disempowered and vulnerable. This became apparent after the
9/11 events when antagonism against Arabs proliferated among many
Americans due to the ethnicity of the attackers. To defend themselves,
Arabs sought protection in generic American anti-discrimination and
anti-racism laws.
Asali adds, “We have learned from other
Americans how to work from within the US establishment to serve
ourselves and our issues. Criticizing the American system and policies
from the outside is futile. We are Americans with rights and
obligations. When we were able to show our fellow Americans that, just
like them, we are committed to the American national interest, they
listened to us.”
More importantly, Asali points out that Arabs –
unlike Jews – oppose the US because of its position regarding the
Palestinian issue. This antagonism, he believes, has impeded their
engagement in the American political process. They have not acted as an
organized bloc with clear interests, nor have they even supported Arab
candidates in American elections. Arabs, he adds, generally agree on the
issue of Palestine, and this can be a platform to launch serious,
effective and broader Arab-American efforts. However, Arab-Americans are
“still emotional and antagonistic towards the US system. They still
believe that it is inappropriate to engage seriously with it.” He urges
Arabs to move beyond this
mindset, which has been demonstrably proven ineffective and wrong,
saying, “Is it reasonable to blame a patient for neglecting his health
or being addicted to smoking? Or should we treat him so that he can be
cured?”
Counter-intuitively, he believes that Jewish
Americans are the Arab Americans’ best ally when it comes to the
Palestinian issue: “65-70% of Jewish Americans believe in creating a
Palestinian state, which is exactly what we believe in. Therefore,
reaching out to Jews is very important. We are not against Israel, but
we are certainly against the occupation. We believe in creating a
Palestinian state alongside Israel. Even Gamal Abdel Nasser, who was the
leader of the Arab world, recognized this basic approach by endorsing
UN Security Council Resolution 242 and the Rogers Plan. And so did
Yasser Arafat.”
Asali believes that the creation of a
Palestinian state would serve the American national interest. He points
out that President George W. Bush was the first American president to
recognize the need for a state of Palestine in 2004. The Middle East
Quartet also endorsed this imperative, so that “the two-state solution
has become an international demand." He adds, “We believe in dialogue.
We will engage anyone who agrees with our goals. Jewish Americans who
believe in a two-state solution are our natural allies since, like us,
they are Americans.”
The American Task Force on Palestine recently
held a gala in Washington, DC at the end of October, on the occasion of
the organization’s founding. Asali says that this Gala
(http://gala.atfp.net/home) is an annual occasion to showcase the
achievements of Arab Americans and to celebrate distinguished members of
the community “so as to show the American people the true image of Arab
Americans.”
This growing effort has attracted effective
talent that is active in the United States. These include Palestinian
affairs expert Ghaith Al-Omari, commentator Hussein Ibish, and the Iraqi
communications specialist Adil Awadh. Previous ATFP Galas were attended
and addressed by Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary
Clinton, among many others.
Arab Americans are estimated to number around 4
million, which can constitute an electoral block that can be effective
if they vote in a coordinated manner, as Jewish Americans, African
Americans and Latino Americans tend to do. It is worth recalling
President Harry S. Truman’s reaction when asked by representatives of
Arab countries why his Administration was ignoring Arab concerns. Truman
is reputed to have observed, “There aren't many Arabs voters in this
country”.
Asali believes that things have not changed
much. Yet he is optimistic about the future. He says, “Today, our
organization enjoys wide influence and exceptional access to American
officials. Despite our limited financial resources, our ideas and
analysis find traction in Congress and with the Administration. As Arab
Americans, we seek to advance our issues, and are fully aware that the
creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is in the interest of
our country, the United States.”
