Washington Report - August/September 2016 - Vol. XXXV, No. 5

114TH CONGRESS’ HALLS OF FAME AND SHAME

DISPLAY UNTIL 9/19/2016

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8 Under New Anti-Terrorism Law, Some Israelis Will BePresumed More Guilty Than Others—Jonathan Cook

10 Palestinian City Parched After Israel Cuts WaterSupply—Amira Hass

13 Countdown to the Next Chernobyl—Gaza—Jeffery Abood

16 Turkey and Israel Back Together Again—Three Views—Jonathan Gorvett, Mohammed Omer, Ramzy Baroud

20 Brexit and Israel/Palestine—Two Views—Ramzy Baroud, Paul R. Pillar

23 The Chilcot Report: Send Our War Criminals to theHague Court—Eric S. Margolis

24 The Syria “Dissent” Memo—Gareth Porter

44 Israel Wins Chairmanship of U.N. Legal Committee,Will Seek Security Council Seat— Ian Williams

46 Obama’s New Executive Order Increases DroneTransparancy, Official Says—Dale Sprusansky

Congress and the 2016 Elections15 Democratic Party Platform Fight on Israel and

Palestine—James J. Zogby

29 Ten Senators, 18 Representatives in 114th Congress’“Hall of Fame”—Shirl McArthur

SPECIAL REPORTS

26 John Kerry, Angelina Jolie Speak at ADAMS on World Refugee Day—Delinda C. Hanley

28 Syrian War Spills Over: Radical Salafis AttackChristian Village in Lebanon—Juan Cole

47 Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Delegation:Full of Confidence and Hope—Delinda C. Hanley

49 Algeria’s Resilient Press—Marvine Howe

Volume XXXV, No. 5 August/September 2016

INTERPRETING THE MIDDLE EAST FOR NORTH AMERICANS ✮ INTERPRETING NORTH AMERICA FOR THE MIDDLE EAST

ON THE COVER: A Syrian girl drinks from a water pipe at aSyrian refugee camp in the southern Lebanese town of Zahrani, May 3, 2016. MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

TELLING THE TRUTH FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS...

On Middle East Affairs

THE U.S. ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE

In the lobby of the Willard Hotel, a DAR member from NorthCarolina (l) and Saudi Shura Council member Dr. Thuraya AlArredh discover that they are fellow Tar Heels. See “A ChanceEncounter,” p. 48.

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5 Publishers’ Page

6 letters to the editor

52 the World looks at theMiddle east — CARtoons

53 other PeoPle’s Mail

56 MusliM aMerican activisM:ICnA/MAs speakers talk About theirMuslim Faith

59 arab aMerican activisM:Racial and Religious Profiling at U.s. Airports

60 education: senate Proposes Cuts to Fulbright-Hays Funding

61 huMan rights:B’tselem Rejects Israeli Whitewashing

64 Waging Peace: obama officialsDiscuss Iran Deal

73 Music & arts:

nabil al-Raee of Jenin Freedom

theatre on “the siege”

77 diPloMatic doings:

Iraqi Ambassador on U.s.-Iraq

Relations

78 book revieW:shell-shocked: on the Ground Under

Israel’s Gaza Assault

—Reviewed by Kevin A. Davis

79 Middle east books and More

80 obituaries

81 2016 aet choir oF angels

78 indeX to advertisers

Israel Covets Golan’s Water and Now Oil, Jonathan Marshall, www.consortiumnews.com OV-1

Israel Considers Its Demographic Time Bomb, Jonathan Cook, The National OV-3

Is AIPAC a Toothless Tiger After Iran Deal Supporters Survive Unscathed?, Nathan Guttman, The Forward OV-4

Israel-First McCarthyism: Andrew Cuomo’s Vow to Spy on and Punish BDS Activists,Juan Cole, www.juancole.com OV-5

A Defeated Sanctions Vote in the U.S. Should Worry Israel, Rami G. Khouri, www.aljazeera.com OV-6

A Notable Legal Victory for Justice In Palestine, Rami G. Khouri, Agence Global OV-7

The One and Only Haneen Zoabi (May God Bless Her), Norman G. Finkelstein,www.normanfinkelstein.com OV-8

Elie Wiesel: Poseur for Peace, Joseph Grosso, www.counterpunch.org OV-9

Liberty Survivors Say U.S. Still Downplays Israel’s Attack on Ship, Bryant Jordan, www.military.com OV-10

Coverage of the Istanbul Bombing Proves Once Again That American Media Care Little About Muslim Lives, Dean Obeidallah, www.huffingtonpost.com OV-11

What the FBI Was Doing Instead of Catching the Orlando Shooter,www.antimedia.com OV-12

Russia Quietly Strips Emigrés of Dual Citizenship, Julie Masis, The Forward OV-13

The Bookseller Saving Jerusalem’s Palestinian Identity, Urvashi Sarkar, www.aljazeera.com OV-14

The Intricacies of Language,James Abourezk, www.counterpunch.org OV-16

Other VoicesOther Voices(A Supplement to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs available bysubscription at $15 per year. To subscribe, call toll-free 1-888-881-5861.)

Compiled by Janet McMahon

DEPARTMENTS

“Olive Harvest” by Najat El Khairy, included in the exhibition “ForbiddenColors: Artists and Censorship,” onview at the Jerusalem Fund’s GalleryAl-Quds in Washington, DC throughAug. 12.

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As Part of Our Election YearCoverage…This issue contains the voting records ofevery member of Congress, as well as theinductees into the latest Halls of Fame andShame. The next issue will contain thefinal compilation of pro-Israel PAC contri-butions prior to the Nov. 8 election. By thetime readers receive this issue, we all willno doubt be recovering from the spectacleof the Republican and Democratic nationalconventions. Given the twists and turns ofthe presidential race so far, we have pru-dently decided not to attempt to…

Predict the Unpredictable.But we do believe that the times, they area’changing. As Bernie Sanders appointeeDr. James Zogby eloquently told the exec-utive committee drafting the Democraticparty platform (see p. 15), “We do notoften see the Arab-Israeli conflict throughPalestinian eyes.” More and more Ameri-cans, however, are learning that there aretwo sides to that particular story, no mat-ter how much the Israel lobby and its con-gressional flunkies want to pretend other-wise. Certainly one theme of this electionyear so far has been the establishment’sattempt to control the discussion on…

Israel’s Occupation of Palestine.True, the Sanders appointees’ proposedplatform language—including references toIsraeli “occupation” and “settlements”—wasrejected by the platform committee. But thediscussion, and the heavy-handed attemptsto suppress it, can no longer be confined tosmoke-filled rooms. And that is…

At Least Half the Battle!Due to Popular Demand…Another ground-breaking conference,again co-hosted with the Institute for Re-search: Middle Eastern Policy, is in theworks. We’ll continue to examine themachinations of the Israel lobby right afterthe next president takes office and right

before AIPAC descends on Washington.Please plan to visit DC and meet with ourspeakers—it’s so much better than watch-ing the proceedings from afar. We needyour help to fund and advertise this majorevent and...

Shine a Light on the Lobby. Not long ago, a woman named Joycecalled our office to say a friend had givenher a Washington Report subscription.Joyce said she loved the magazine andasked if we could send her three or fourearlier issues she missed before her sub-scription began. (She paid for postage andhandling.) Today she called again, sayingshe had read those cover-to-cover. “Icame in late to this subject, and I need tolearn more. I’m overwhelmed but I amgoing to do something.” She asked us tosend all our 2015 issues. We will. And weask you to…

Help Us Find More Joyces.Thousands, hundreds, or even one Joycecan speak up at a party, at that town hallmeeting, or write the hard-hitting letter tothe editor or member of Congress that willprovoke another “aha moment” likeJoyce’s. Joining Joyces together—espe-cially on election days to come—could pro-duce real change in U.S. foreign policy andhuman rights at home. Please help us findand quench the thirst of new readers who

know they aren’t getting the whole storyfrom corporate-owned news. The nextpresident of the United States will need avigorous re-education when it comes to theMiddle East. And it won’t hurt to begin ed-ucating our future leaders as well, andpreparing a president to take office…

In 2036 and 2048!Riding a Wave of Small Donations.Just when the Washington Report and itsMiddle East Books and More bookstorewere getting anxious about paying printingbills and ordering new books, readersstarted replying to our SOS in the May do-nation appeal and last issue’s publishers’page. Many of you renewed your sub-scription—even before we sent a renewalnotice, saving us postage costs—androunded out your check, adding on a do-nation. These small-dollar donations fromreaders around the world kept us fromfalling off the brink, for which we are mostgrateful. Nevertheless, we’re still not sittingpretty, so we’ve decided to print seven is-sues this year instead of eight. We’re try-ing to cushion the blow by making eachissue longer. We thank you for your con-tinued support while we navigate thesetricky waters.

When people ask how this independentpublication has survived for 34 years, webrag about our Angels, including retireesand students living on a fixed income, whocome together every year to make this ef-fort possible. Our Angels’ names, likethose of our doctors, teachers andlawyers, represent all parts of the globe.So thanks to Khans and Khatibs…

MacDonalds and Makhloufs...Schuberts and Shahs. Our readers are likeyou and your neighbors: they’re all pas-sionate about peace and justice for theircountry and for others near and far. That’swhy we know that, together, we can...

Make A Difference Today!5AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS

Publishers’ PageAmericanEducational

Trust

March 24, 2017National Press Club

2016 ISRAEL’S INFLUENCE: Good orBad for America?

2015 THE ISRAEL LOBBY: Is It Good forthe US? Is It Good for Israel?

2014 National Summit to Reassess theU.S.-Israel "Special Relationship"

pubs_5_Special Report 7/14/16 7:40 PM Page 5

FROM A POLITICAL PRISONERUpon receiving the Washington Report Iread it from cover to cover, and withevery page I turn I wish I were able toassist with your unmatched effort to re-suscitate the truth about the political re-ality in the U.S. as it pertains to the Mid-dle East, especially Palestine. Unfortu-nately I can do little from behind therazor wire-topped walls I’m kept behind.However as a humanitarian/political

prisoner and as an American citizen of anawakened conscience I find it incumbentupon myself to give it all I could. Pleaseaccept my gift of $125, which you shouldreceive shortly after the prison adminis-tration has finished processing my re-quest for a check made out to AET andmailed out to your office in California.Your work must continue, for it would

be a disservice to this country and theworld to allow the voice of the truth to gounheard.Shukri Abu-Baker, U.S. Penitentiary,

Beaumont, TXWe are honored to count you among

our subscribers and to receive your gen-erous support. Thank you. As fellowAmericans, we consider your imprison-ment—and that of too many other politi-cal prisoners (see <www.projectsalam.org>)—not only an outrage, but a be-trayal of the principles on which ourcountry was founded.

LAMENTED DISAPPEARANCESI have valued reading your report foryears but it has recently disappearedfrom local bookstores...of course, localbookstores are disappearing too.Thank you for all your good work.Andrew Allen, via emailYou might have success if you request

that your bookstore carry the WashingtonReport. Of course, we would welcome youas a subscriber, and hence not subject tothe vagaries of the commercial world!

A LIBRARY ROLE MODELGood news! I was over at the WellesleyFree Library on Friday and what did Isee in their Reading Room but theWashington Report in the middle rackwhere everyone can see it. So, I pickedit up and started reading in their comfort-able chairs, hoping others would see thecover. I am thrilled.Persistence is key and paid off.Judith Howard, Norwood, MA

Thank you for sharing your success,and for your longtime support!

“ISRAEL’S INFLUENCE” ISSUEAs a member of an informal committee,coordinating activities among organiza-tions committed to promote peace be-tween Israel and Palestine in TheNetherlands, I proudly presented yourspecial May 2016 issue of Israel's influ-ence on the U.S. My friends are highlyinterested in the results, presented in theconference proceedings. They alsowanted to have a personal copy of thisissue. The conference may serve as auseful model for a similar conference inThe Netherlands.Could you please forward 10 copies,

as well as a receipt for the copies, han-dling cost and freight. Jan Wijenberg, The Hague, NetherlandsWe are happy to provide you the re-

quested copies and thank you for help-ing spread the word.

REMEMBER THESE CHILDRENI have a couple of copies of RememberThese Children, old and dog eared.I will be attending the Presbyterian

General Assembly in Portland, Oregon,where a conservative element in the de-nomination is trying to reverse the 2014decision to divest from the occupation. Ihave been reading the materials they willbe distributing, and I got the idea that itcould be really helpful to distributecopies of Remember These Children.There will be more than 1,000 dele-

gates there, and what I'm thinking is thatwe could put a copy here and there, instrategic places, for delegates to pick upand read. Plus, we could have a few atan information table.Do you still have lots and lots of copies

of the booklet? Once upon a time, theywere available at no charge, even a boxfull. I would love to make a donation, butI'm wondering if you even have themanymore.Lastly, I just had an additional idea

while writing this: I'm wondering if youhave a PowerPoint version that youcould send as an e-mail attachment.Maybe we could have it running in a con-tinuous loop at our information table.This could be great for those folks, notall that many in the scheme of the entireGeneral Assembly, but nonetheless aninterested demographic, who actuallycome to our booth.

WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 20166

Publisher: ANDREW I. KILLGOREManaging Editor: JANET McMAHON

News Editor: DELINDA C. HANLEYAssistant Editor: DALE SPRUSANSKY

Middle East Books and More Director: NATHANIEL BAILEY

Finance & Admin. Dir.: CHARLES R. CARTERArt Director: RALPH U. SCHERER

Executive Editor: RICHARD H. CURTISS(1927-2013)

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (ISSN8755-4917) is published 7 times a year, monthly exceptJan./Feb., March/April, June/July and Aug./Sept. com-bined, at 1902 18th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009-1707. Tel. (202) 939-6050. Subscription prices (UnitedStates and possessions): one year, $29; two years, $55;three years, $75. For Canadian and Mexican subscrip-tions, $35 per year; for other foreign subscriptions, $70per year. Periodicals, postage paid at Washington, DCand additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send ad-dress changes to Washington Report on Middle EastAffairs, P.O. Box 91056, Long Beach, CA 90809-1056.

Published by the American Educational Trust (AET), anon-profit foundation incorporated inWashington, DC byretired U.S. foreign service officers to provide the Ameri-can public with balanced and accurate information concerning U.S. relations withMiddle Eastern states.AET’s Foreign Policy Committee has included former U.S.ambassadors, government officials, andmembers of Con gress, including the late Demo cratic Sen. J. WilliamFulbright and Republican Sen. Charles Percy, both formerchairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Members of AET’s Board of Directors and advisory com-mittees receive no fees for their services.

The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs does not take partisan domestic political positions. As a solution to the Palestinian- Israeli dispute,it endorses U.N. Security Council Resolution 242’s land-for-peace formula, supported by nine successive U.S.presidents. In general, it supports Middle East solutionswhich it judges to be consistent with the charter of theUnited Nations and traditional American support forhuman rights, self-determination, and fair play.

Material from the Washington Report may bereprinted without charge with attribution to WashingtonReport on Middle East Affairs. Bylined material must alsobe attributed to the author. This release does not applyto photo graphs, cartoons or reprints from other publica-tions.Indexed by Ebsco Information Services, Info Trac,LexisNexis, Public Affairs Information Service, Indexto Jewish Periodicals, Ethnic NewsWatch, PeriodicaIslamica.

CONTACT INFORMATION:Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

Editorial Office and Bookstore:P.O. Box 53062, Washington, DC 20009-9062

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P.O. Box 91056, Long Beach, CA 90809-1056.Phone: (888) 881-5861 • Fax: (714) 226-9733

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LetterstotheEditor

lte_6-7_August/September 2016 Letters to Editor 7/14/16 5:07 PM Page 6

Sallie Shawl, via e-mailWe still have some copies of

the publication left, and wereable to send you a box. We arealso in the process of updatingthe website <www.rememberthesechildren.org>. Tragically,that is a never-ending task. We werevery happy to hear, however, that thePresbyterian General Assembly rejectedthe attempt to reverse its 2014 decision.

REMEMBERING THE LIBERTYWell done, Washington Report.This is still the most disgraceful example

of a perfidious act in my lifetime and still ablot on the U.S. and its ability to take actionagainst Israel for its crime. One questionshow many other “unsolved" crimes can besheeted home to Israel as well, but with theownership of both of your houses by neo-cons and the like, these are unlikely ever tobe aired for analysis and even less chancein the event of a successful campaign by theIsrael sycophant Clinton. A frighteningthought.How does this not appear on the front

pages of every non-Zionist-owned news-paper in the USA, even today, assumingthere are any independently managedand owned publications in America thesedays?But I do commend you in your con-

stancy in this matter. It does you greatcredit.Rex Williams, Australians for Justice,

Canberra, AustraliaIsrael certainly took to heart the knowl-

edge it gained on June 8, 1967, that it cankill Americans with impunity. Our June 6action alert to which you refer included re-sources available from AET’s Middle EastBooks and More about Israel’s attack onthe USS Liberty, as well as a link to ourUSS Liberty Archive. Readers who wishto receive our action alerts can sign up onour website, <www.wrmea.org>.

THE KUFIYAH DABKE TROUPEDabke is an Arab folk line dance commonin the Levant region. It is usually per-formed at weddings and celebrations. TheKufiyah Dabke Troupe, named by its childmembers to honor the Kufiyah, the sym-bol of Palestinian identity and heritage,aims to raise awareness about Arab cul-ture and Palestinian heritage. KufiyahDabke Troupe is the first and only chil-dren's dabke group in Maryland and themetro DC region. It was founded in Febru-ary 2016 as part of Kalimah Arabic Pro-grams' efforts to introduce the Arabic lan-guage and culture to elementary schoolstudents through after-school programs inRockville and Germantown, Maryland.

The group is run by volunteer mothers ofdabke kids, all of whom are MontgomeryCounty Public School students. Layali Eshqaidef, Kalimah Arabic Pro-

grams, via e-mailWe invite readers to visit your website,

<www.ArabicKalimah.com>, where weknow they will be impressed and inspiredby your innovative programs.

A CONCERNED AMERICANI have been avidly following the situationin Israel/Palestine for over 10 years now,though I am neither Jewish or Palestin-ian, simply a very concerned American.The other day I wrote down my rea-

soning for my constant attention tosomething I’m sorry to say most Ameri-cans seem to ignore. What follows is myessay on motivation for this American,addressed to those who read my Face-book page and may wonder why I am al-ways posting items about Israel. Ithought you might find it interesting.

Why is Israel so important to me? Whyis it so frightening to me? It is becauseIsrael is turning America inside out—it ismaking us stand before the world repre-senting the exact opposite of what weclaim to value: liberty and justice for all.That Hillary calls BDS, a totally peacefuland increasingly successful action forthe rights of the downtrodden, “evil,”without even a catch in her voice—thisperson who expects to be our next presi-dent, horrifies me.

How could it come to this bolddenunciation of an effort thatacts against tyranny, one somuch worse than the one Ameri-can colonies suffered under, atyranny approaching what Amer-ican slaves suffered, because

Israel is the land of ten thousandtyrants, where each and every JewishIsraeli can trample over the lives andproperty of any Palestinian, just as anywhite in the Old South was the master ofevery black. We fought the civil war toend what is so much like what Hillarynow praises, gushing over a country thatproudly uses the iron fist on the help-less. She pledges that Israeli PM Ne-tanyahu will be invited to the WhiteHouse in her first month in office. If thishappens, we have become the anti-America, in exactly the same way thatChristians think of Satan as the Anti-Christ. It is the victory of the negation ofwhat started in 1776, and there is noteven a ripple in our “free” press.

I pound away on Israel in an attempt tomake the emotionally blinded see. Ishare Harriet Beecher Stowe's goal thatdrove her to write Uncle Tom's Cabin—the understanding of a cruel injusticethat cried out to be made right. I work toundermine the automatic positive regardfor Israel that keeps a warm spot inAmerican hearts for a terrible ethniccleansing project—to eat away at themyth of a downtrodden people moving toan empty land, of a people almost liter-ally rising from the ashes of Auschwitz toprosperity. This myth denies every singlefact about Israel, not just the history ofthe place, but the very foundation of thesociety. Israel is a blatant taking from theinnocent, punishing them daily fordecades with no end in sight, criminalsfor having lived in the place Zionismchose to take.

If you tire of seeing my posts about Is-rael, I suggest you not visit my FB page,because they are going to continue toappear until Israel either is a land for allthe people or the United States re-nounces the “special relationship.” I am65. That I may not live to see it is noreason to stop the effort. The presidentand Congress have capitulated, but wethe people can still keep the Idea ofAmerica alive and return it to power.That's what keeps me going, my hopethat you will see the truth when con-fronted with so much powerful evidenceand will join me, for the love of whatAmerica once stood for in the world, butdoes no longer.Cliff Brown, Evanston, ILAmen. ■

7AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS

OTHER VOICES isan opt ional 16-page sup plementavailable only tosubscribers of theWashington Reporton Middle Eas t Affairs. For an addi-tional $15 per year(see postcard insert

for Wash ington Re port subscription rates), sub-scribers will receive Other Voices inside eachissue of their Washington Report on Middle EastAffairs.

Back issues of both publications are avail able. Tosubscribe telephone 1 (888) 881-5861, fax (714)226-9733, e-mail circulation@wrmea. org>, or writeto P.O. Box 91056, Long Beach, CA 90809-1056.

KEEP THOSE CARDS AND LETTERSCOMING!

Send your letters to the editor to the Washington Report, P.O. Box 53062, Washington, DC 20009

or e-mail <[email protected]>.

lte_6-7_August/September 2016 Letters to Editor 7/14/16 5:07 PM Page 7

WEARING A T-SHIRT, chanting songs at a demonstration or do-nating clothing could be all it takes for Israel’s large Palestinian mi-nority to fall afoul of a newly passed anti-terrorism law, civil rightsgroups have warned.The legislation, applied in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem,

has been condemned as a “dangerous” threat to civil liberties. Itdramatically broadens the range of offenses to include sympathiz-ing with, encouraging and failing to prevent terrorism.According to legal experts, it also gives Israeli police sweeping

new powers to arrest suspects and deny them access to lawyers.Courts will be required to hand out long jail sentences.Leaders of Israel’s 1.7-million-strong Palestinian minority, which

accounts for a fifth of the population, said the law was “anti-Arab”rather than “anti-terror.” They fear it will be readily exploited to jailPalestinian citizens and East Jerusalem residents for political activityin showing solidarity with Palestinians under occupation.Palestinians in the West Bank will be largely unaffected because

they are subject to a separate system of Israeli military courts.

Adalah, a Palestinian legal organizationin Israel, says the law would effectively im-port into Israel many of the draconian mili-tary orders currently used against Palestini-ans under Israeli occupation.According to Nadeem Shehadeh, an

Adalah lawyer, the law’s vague definitionsmeant that waving a flag, sharing a Face-book post or being caught in clashes at ademonstration could result in prosecutionas a terror offense and entail several yearsof jail.“Throwing a stone, jostling with police or

chanting slogans could all be treated as vi-olations of the law,” he said.In any future Israeli military operations in

Gaza, he added, Palestinian citizens whomake donations to humanitarian groups—of clothing or food, for example—could riskprosecution for aiding terror.“If enforced harshly, this [law] could lead

to lots of arrests and prosecutions,” hewarned, “with those found guilty facing heavy punishments.”Palestinian members of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, de-

nounced the new measure as well, saying it was likely to have a“chilling effect” on efforts by Israel’s Palestinian minority to showsupport for Palestinians under occupation.Haneen Zoabi of the Joint List, a coalition of mainly Palestinian

lawmakers, said: “It is this law that is the act of terror.“This law doesn’t just deal with actions in the past,” she noted,

“but with what Israel thinks you might do in the future. It is de-signed to terrorize and persecute citizens over their political be-liefs and sympathies.”Such fears were heightened immediately after the vote when

the police minister, Gilad Erdan, said he would ensure that localactivists who support a boycott of Israel “pay a heavy price.”He told a conference near Tel Aviv that the government had set

up a legal team that would try to find links between activists be-longing to the BDS movement—supporting boycott, divestmentand sanctions—and terrorist organizations.“Is there any form of struggle against Israeli oppression more

peaceful, more civil than BDS?” asked Zoabi. “It is clear the gov-ernment’s real goal is silencing any criticism, any dissent.”The Knesset passed the anti-terror bill with an overwhelming

Under New Anti-Terrorism Law, Some IsraelisWill Be Presumed More Guilty Than Others

By Jonathan Cook

Masked Palestinian protesters gesture during the third day of clashes with Israeli police atJerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound after Israeli authorities announced they were closingthe mosque for the remaining week of Ramadan, June 28, 2016.

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Jonathan Cook is a journalist based in Nazareth and a winner of theMartha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. He is the author ofBlood and Religion and Israel and the Clash of Civilisations (avail-able from AET’s Middle East Books and More).


The Nakba Continues

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majority on June 15. It was backed by allparties apart from the Joint List and thesmall, left-wing Meretz faction.Formally, the law applies equally to all

Israeli citizens, whether Palestinians orJews. However, Palestinian leaders saidthe law had been crafted to specifically tar-get Palestinians in Israel and EastJerusalem.“Be sure, if Israeli Jews are affected by

this law, it will be only the left-wing oneswho identify with the Pales-tinian struggle for liberation,”said Zoabi.At a parliamentary commit-

tee hearing on the law late inMay, Issawi Freij, a memberof the Meretz party, observed:“A stone-throwing Arab willbecome a terrorist, while a stone-throwingultra-Orthodox Jew will not.”Under the legislation, leaders of terror or-

ganizations face 25 years in jail. The tariffrises to a mandatory life sentence if a terrorattack is carried out. The defense ministerwill be able to order the seizure of an orga-nization’s assets even before it has been in-dicted as a terror group.Adalah noted that the law does not dis-

tinguish between attacks on civilians andsoldiers enforcing the occupation. Under in-ternational law, the latter are considered le-gitimate targets.An advisory committee will be able to ap-

prove declaring a group a terror organiza-tion. Those under investigation for links toterror may find that they have no access tothe secret evidence used against them,Shehadeh said.Most Palestinian political movements in

the occupied territories are treated by Israelas terror organizations. Israeli officials, forexample, make no legal distinction betweenHamas’ military leadership and its politi-cians running Gaza.Shehadeh said the law would severely

curtail freedom of expression. Threats tocarry out a terror act—however improba-ble—could incur seven years in prison.Those inciting terror face five years, whilethose praising a terror organization riskthree.Those aiding a terror organization or pro-

viding it with services face five years’ im-prisonment.In many cases, he added, the burden of

proof would shift to the accused to showthat they had not aided or sympathized witha terror organization, or failed to stop a ter-ror act. “That violates a basic principle ofdue process in criminal law,” Shehadehsaid.Ayelet Shaked, the justice minister from

the far-right Jewish Home party, welcomed

the new powers. “Terrorism can only be de-feated with appropriate punishments anddeterrents,” she said. “The 2016 model ofterrorism will receive a 2016 response.”The law is designed to supersede previ-

ous anti-terror legislation and incorporatesmany of the dozens of emergency regula-tions introduced by the British in the 1940s.The Knesset adopted those powers uponIsrael’s creation in 1948 over vehement op-position from some lawmakers.As leader of the Irgun terrorist group,

Menachem Begin, who would later serve asIsrael’s prime minister, called the Britishmeasures “Nazi, tyrannical and unethical”laws.Shehadeh warned that a whole raft of se-

curity regulations approved over the yearsby the Knesset on an emergency or tem-porary basis—and supposed to be of lim-ited duration—had now been permanentlyadded to Israel’s lawbooks. “Even if the security situation changes,”

he said, “these measures—however ex-treme and however damaging to democra-tic rights—will continue to be available.” Amir Fuchs, a legal expert with the Is-

rael Democracy Institute, said the legisla-tion offered many troubling new tools to Is-rael’s prosecutorial system. The courtswould be allowed to take into account“hearsay”—evidence from those who hadnot witnessed the events under investiga-tion. The defense would not be in a posi-

tion to cross-examine those providing suchtestimony.The habeas corpus principle would also

not apply in some cases, meaning hearingscould be conducted without the accusedpresent.“These measures do not look like they

are part of criminal law—how the statedeals with its own citizens—but rather likea law that deals with the enemy,” Fuchsadded.

The anti-terrorism legislationunderwent six years of draft-ing, but the process acceler-ated rapidly after a wave of so-called “lone-wolf attacks”began last year, many of themfocused on Jerusalem.Although East Jerusalem is

under occupation, Israeli law is appliedthere because Israel considers it part of its“eternal capital.”Fuchs said the new law’s provisions

would be subject to judicial review by thesupreme court. However, he said the courtwould probably be reluctant to intervene.After years of threats by the right to strip thecourt of its powers, he said, its judges werenow “walking on eggshells.”The anti-terror law is best viewed within

the context of general political repression inIsrael. Legislation is expected to be passedsoon cracking down on human rightsgroups and giving a majority of Knessetmembers the power to expel Palestinianlawmakers.Aida Touma-Suleiman, a Knesset mem-

ber for the Joint List, said police were al-ready treating as incitement social mediaposts by Palestinian citizens and residentsof East Jerusalem that attacked the occu-pation.In the Knesset debate on the law, Touma-

Suleiman raised the case of Dareen Tatour, aPalestinian poet from Reine, near Nazareth,who was arrested in October over Facebookposts. She spent three months in prison andis now under house arrest.“This shows how dangerous it is to give Is-

raeli security services the power to ‘interpret’our political behavior,” Touma-Suleiman said.“Israel wants us too frightened to hold an opin-ion or even share one.” ■


“A stone-throwing Arab will becomea terrorist, while a stone-throwing

ultra-Orthodox Jew will not.”

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“I CAN FAST. My chickens and plants can’t. I can go withoutdrinking water for 18 hours during Ramadan. I understand. Butmy plants and chickens, what do they know? What can I tellthem—to make do, because Mekorot [the Israeli water company]is reducing the amount of water, and specifically now during thesummer and Ramadan?” says Nizar Rayan, a resident ofQarawat Bani Hassan in the Salfit District.Rayan has an impressive plant nursery in front of his house

and a large chicken coop down the road. At the beginning ofJune, when it became clear that the cuts in the water supply tothe towns and villages in the central West Bank district were nottemporary, he rushed out and sold almost all of his 700 chick-ens. He thought he would have enough water for about 80 chick-ens when the regular water supply was renewed, but 50 of themdied from dehydration last week. Another died on Sunday. Whenhe entered the almost empty coop to show me around, he dis-covered the dead body lying on the ground. That’s how, withintwo to three weeks, Rayan calculates that he’s lost some 7,000

shekels ($1,800).Now he fears for the fate of the plant

nursery. The squash gourds and zucchiniseedlings have already shown signs ofwilting. So far, he’s gotten by, barely, withwater he brought from a cistern that col-lects and stores rainwater at his parents’house, and with the water he bought—at10 times the normal rate—from a tractordriver who travels a few dozen kilometersto fill his tank with water. The payment isfor the diesel fuel, work and time.But he cannot use up all his parents’

water, and the driver, a local resident,can’t spend 24 hours a day hauling water.He doesn’t have a pump to raise the waterinto the plastic tanks on the roof, either.When Rayan washes his hands before

prayer, he is careful to do so in the gar-den—above a small tree or the seedlings—so they can enjoy a little too.For the virtually all of June, the lives of

tens of thousands of Palestinians aroundSalfit and Nablus revolved around water.

“On the morning of June 4, we discovered that our main waterreservoir, with a capacity of 1,500 cubic meters, was completelyempty,” Salfit Mayor Dr. Shaher Ishtayeh told Haaretz in lateJune. No one warned the local council in advance that Mekorotwas cutting off the supply for a day.“If we had known, we could have prepared appropriately,” Ish-

tayeh said. “Told people to fill bottles, to give up what was noturgent—for example, washing cars or floors. To warn the ownerof the cowshed. Close the taps in order to ensure that somewater will remain in the reservoir, so that when we start [thewater] flowing again, there will be enough pressure.”Ishtayeh gave his own small garden as an example: he

planted tomatoes, parsley and other vegetables before Ra-madan. The work, money, pleasure watching the growing plantsand the expectations for the bounty—all was lost. And the samegoes for many others in the area.

PRICELESS DROPS GOING TO WASTESalfit is a city with a tradition for rapid organization, and a mu-nicipality emergency committee was immediately convened. The

Palestinian City Parched After Israel CutsWater Supply

By Amira Hass

Fatma Ali, 50, stands in her garden in the West Bank village of Salfit, north of Ramallah, asshe shows that there is no water coming out of the tap, June 23, 2016.

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mosques’ loudspeakers, Facebook andthe local radio station all reported on thesituation. The owner of the local cementfactory was ordered to close temporarily:We’re sorry, he was told, drinking water ismore important.The city’s sewage department has a

truck with a split tank: One half for cleanwater (for flushing the pits) and the otherfor collecting sewage. They immediatelyfilled the clean half with water from thespring well in the wadi, and drove betweenthe houses so that at least the drinkingand washing needs for that day could bemet.Even though the water supply from

Mekorot was eventually renewed (albeit athalf the normal rate), a few hours and hun-dreds of priceless cubic meters of waterwere wasted in order to wash out the rustand sand from the system.Residents call city employees con-

stantly: Why does my neighbor have waterand I don’t? Why hasn’t water reached ourneighborhood? When should I expect thewater to start flowing—and when will itstop again? The municipality’s and villagecouncils’ employees are not exaggeratingwhen they say they’re working night andday, with barely time to sleep.They divided Salfit into three zones, and

the water is distributed in rotation: Whenthe water flows in one area, the centralpipes’ taps to the other two are turned off.Because of the low water pressure, apump has to be used for the higher areas.The city was prepared and bought twosuch pumps a few years ago. One nowoperates flat out, 24 hours a day, to sup-ply water, generating a lot of heat. Thesecond pump is ready to go for when thefirst needs to be rested. Hence, the watershortage also entails additional electricityexpenses.Once in a while, engineer Ahmad

Shahin receives a phone call from one ofthe workers: The water has reached all ofthe homes in a certain area, so you shouldclose the valve and pump water to a dif-ferent area.Sometimes, Hassan Afaneh—the engi-

neer in charge of the city’s water andsewage department—orders that water

distribution be stopped in all areas for afew hours, in order to allow the reservoir’swater level to rise and increase waterpressure. Such an order can be given atnight, which is why city workers must al-ways be on call.Article 40 of the 1995 interim agreement

between Israel and the Palestine Libera-tion Organization—better known as theOslo accords—states that the division ofwater from the mountain aquifer to thePalestinians and Israelis—both settlersand those living inside the sovereign terri-tory of Israel—will remain unchanged fromwhat it was before the signing of theagreements, with an estimated growth infuture Palestinian water needs of between70 to 80 million cubic meters of water ayear.Some 28.6 million cubic meters a year

was to be provided by Israel, and thePalestinians could get the rest by drillingnew wells. (The Jordan River is not in-cluded in this division. Even when waterflowed in the river, after 1967 Israel did notallow the Palestinians to use it.)

INCREASED DEPENDENCE ON ISRAELThis division of water saw 80 percentgoing to Israel, and 20 percent to thePalestinians. The “interim” period wasmeant to expire in 1999, with the end ofnegotiations on the permanent agree-ment. But the interim continues: ThePalestinian population has grown, indus-trial and development needs have beenadded, while the amount of water avail-able to the Palestinians has shrunk inpractice because some of the new wellshave failed or supply less than the ex-pected amount, and some existing wellsnow produce less.Estimates say that the Palestinians

now have access to only about 14 per-cent of the mountain aquifer’s water.That’s why the amount they buy fromMekorot, and their dependence on Israel,has grown.The mountain aquifer is the only source

of water for the Palestinians. It’s also animportant source of water for Israel, butnot the only one.

The Salfit area, like the entire westernbasin of the mountain aquifer, has anabundance of water. The potential forpumping from the western basin is be-tween 360 million to 405 million cubic me-ters of water a year. (The potential for ex-traction from the mountain aquifer in totalis between 620 million to 700 million cubicmeters of water a year.)The Palestinian water authority told

Haaretz in late June that the Oslo accordsallow the Palestinians to extract some 22million cubic meters of water a year fromthe western basin, and that today they arepumping some 30 million. The rest—thatis, between 330 to 380 million cubic me-ters—is for Israel.In winter and spring, nearly 100 small

springs flow between the rocks and olivetrees on the area’s hills. A few of them stillflow even now, in the middle of the sum-mer heat, with surprisingly clear and re-freshing water just a kilometer or two fromthe homes and their dry taps.A young child, Shaher, was headed to-

ward one of these springs from the villageof Yasuf. The donkey he was riding hadplastic bottles hanging off both sides of amakeshift saddle. “My mother sent me,”Shaher said. “We have no water at home.”Two of the springs—Al Mwatti and As-

Sika—flow throughout the year. Theyserve the farmers, and the city pumpssome of their water to its central reservoir.This water is pumped to the Salfit reservoirthrough a red pipe, about 150 cubic me-ters a day. The blue pipe, the larger one,carries water sold by Mekorot—about 100to 120 cubic meters an hour, on normaldays. This means the spring providesabout 6 percent of the area’s daily watersupply.On June 21, the water meter on the blue

pipe still spun at a painfully slow rate.Some three weeks after the supply wascut for a day, the water that Mekorot sendsthrough is still only 40 percent to 60 per-cent of the normal amount.In other areas of the western West

Bank, such as Tulkarm and Qalqilya, theJordanian authorities drilled deep waterwells before 1967. They’re included in thewater infrastructure the Palestinian Au-



thority was allowed to operate. The SalfitDistrict was unlucky, though, and has nosuch wells. The springs, shallow waterwells and cisterns for collecting rainwaterin homes and fields met the needs of 60years ago. “Who ever thought the daywould come when we wouldn’t be able touse the water flowing under our feet basedon our own needs,” says the mayor.

The temporary-permanent Oslo accordsforbid the Palestinians from drilling deepwells in the region richest in water—thewestern basin. Fully aware of the depen-dence on Mekorot, Ishtayeh has informedvarious Palestinian officials of city devel-opment plans that cannot be implemented:For example, it will be impossible to es-tablish university branches there becauseof a lack of water for students and faculty.The Palestinian security services werealso informed that their plans to build atraining base in the area were unrealistic.

The governor’s offices and headquartersof the security services are located in thecity, which has increased the number of

water consumers to 18,000 (two nearby vil-lages, plus the 14,000 residents of Salfit).

Two villages that used to receive theirwater from the Salfit reservoir were askedto find a new water source. The amount ofwater Israel allocated was inadequate forthem all, too, as their needs changed.

“NOT IN OUR HANDS”The water shortage has also caused inter-nal tensions: Ishtayeh told the police not toallow a water broker from a different townto come in, since he sells water at exces-sive prices from his tanker. The three vil-lages northwest of Salfit—Qarawat BaniHassan, Biddya and Sarta—share a singlepipe, so they must share the little theyhave among them and take turns.

Some people have complained that thedistribution was not done fairly and sus-pected the employees favored their ownvillage.

Aziz Assi, the mayor of Qarawat BaniHassan, asked the district governor to ap-point an employee from somewhere else

to the post, who will therefore be abovesuspicion.

On popular radio programs, the mayorsare forced to appear time and again toanswer citizens’ complaints about thewater shortage. “It’s not in our hands,”they say in desperation. The radio showhosts then call the Palestinian water au-thority officials, who tell them, “It’s not inour hands.” They call the officials atMekorot and are told about the watershortage, including in the settlements,and that the main reservoirs in the settle-ments must be filled first.

Do the settlements in the area (Ariel,first of all) suffer from a similar problem?Palestinians who work there know full wellthat they do not.

“On every roof here, there are tanks tocollect water (for when the pipe is dry).Have you seen such tanks on the settlers’roofs?” asks Rayan, as he tries to squeezea few more drops out of one of the emptybarrels in his garden for a geraniumseedling. ■


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GAZA IS HOME to 1.9 million people,over a million of whom are children. Ac-cording to the CIA Factbook, only 19 otherterritories (out of 229) have a younger me-dian age. Last year, a United Nations re-port warned that the Gaza Strip, the placethese children call home, “could becomeuninhabitable by 2020, if current eco-nomic trends persist.” By the time we areinundated with the next round of presi-dential election ads, Gaza could very wellhave become uninhabitable, unable tosupport human life—thus joining the list ofother uninhabitable areas of the world, in-cluding the Arctic, Death Valley and Cher-nobyl. Why will one of the most densely popu-

lated areas on earth soon to be desig-nated, like the city of Chernobyl, as unableto sustain life? It will not be due to somenuclear accident or natural disaster. It will,instead, be uniquely by design. According to a June 2016 U.N. report, “Fragmented Lives,”

“the major drivers of humanitarian vulnerability in the oPt [occu-pied Palestinian territories] were directly linked to Israel’s pro-tracted occupation.” In 2015, the United Nations Conference onTrade and Development (UNCTAD) warned that “short of end-ing the [Israeli] blockade...[we cannot] reverse the ongoing de-development and impoverishment in Gaza.” According to UNC-TAD, this “de-development” is a process by which developmentis not merely hindered but reversed. A state of “de-development”requires control of all the aspects that contribute to a normal life.Keeping a population captive, while never allowing their situa-tion to improve, denies them the ability to live, grow and thrive.

WATERIn Gaza, according to the U.N., 95 percent of the water is notsafe to drink. Israel has repeatedly damaged Gaza’s already de-ficient water and waste water systems, affecting the population’saccess to running water. Some 120,000 people across the Stripnow have no access to the municipal supply of water. This denial

of safe water has also led to farming land becoming desert, un-safe salt levels in the fresh water supply, lack of sewage treat-ment, increase in water-borne diseases, and depletion and con-tamination of underground water resources. The electricityneeded to pump water and to process waste water has alsobeen severely impacted. The CIA World Factbook places Gazadead last in the world in its ability to produce electricity. Re-peated Israeli targeting of Gaza’s lone power plant has onlyworsened this.

FOODUNCTAD found that 72 percent of Gazan households suffer fromfood insecurity. Half the population of Gaza—868,000 people—rely solely on food distribution from aid agencies. As with all imports to and exports from Gaza, food is tightly

controlled by Israel. The Gisha Legal Center for Freedom ofMovement, an Israeli nonprofit organization, uncovered the Is-raeli Defense Ministry’s notorious “Red Lines” document, whichestablished mathematical formulas for how many calories eachman, woman and child in Gaza would be permitted to consumeto keep them just at the level of survival, setting out the minimumcalorie intake needed by Gaza’s nearly two million inhabitants,

A young boy eats corn wrapped in paper next to his house in Gaza City, May 25, 2016.

Jeffery Abood is the author of A Great Cloud of Witnesses: TheCatholic Church's Experience in the Holy Land.

13

Countdown to the Next Chernobyl—GazaBy Jeffery Abood

Special Report

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS

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according to their age and sex. BBC Newshas viewed documents submitted to an Is-raeli court which give details about howand why Israel maintains its blockade ofGaza. Israeli authorities confirm the exis-tence of the four documents. According toIsraeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s for-mer adviser, Dov Weissglass, “It’s like anappointment with a dietician. The Pales-tinians will get a lot thinner, but won’t die.”

THE ECONOMYThe UNCTAD report also mentions that

“in addition to eight years of economicblockade, Gaza has endured three mili-tary operations that have shattered itsability to produce for the domestic market,ravaged its already debilitated infrastruc-ture, and left no time for reconstructionand economic recovery. The deterioratingsituation is reportedly due almost entirelyto a range of discriminatory economicpolicies imposed on it. These include Is-rael withholding almost $700 million ofPalestinian clearance revenue, whichcomes from taxes on imports into the oc-cupied Palestinian territory, compoundinga fiscal crisis for the Palestinian NationalAuthority, on whose behalf Israel collectsthe revenues.”

The World Bank reports that Gaza hasthe highest unemployment rate in theworld, reaching a staggering 60 percentamong youth.

REBUILDINGIsrael’s tight control of all Gaza’s bordershas severely restricted the region’s abilityto fix itself. According to “FragmentedLives,” “an estimated 16,000 families(nearly 90,000 people) remained dis-placed during the second half of 2015,most of whom had moved multiple times,with almost a quarter living in the rubble oftheir damaged homes.” Israel has allowedinto Gaza just 6.5 percent of the construc-tion supplies needed to repair years of de-struction and accumulated housing needs.The Shelter Cluster (a partnering recon-struction agency in Gaza) estimates it willtake 19 years to rebuild just the 19,075homes destroyed during the latest war anda total of 76 years to rebuild the entireStrip. Gisha compares the Israeli-con-trolled rationing of building supplies to therationing of food supplies in the “RedLines” formulas.

INTERNATIONAL AIDThe latest U.N. report also stated that hu-manitarian organizations continue to facea range of obstacles from Israeli authoritiesregarding the access of personnel and ma-terials needed for humanitarian projects.These include physical and administrativerestrictions on the access and movementof humanitarian actors; restrictions on thedelivery of materials needed for humani-

tarian projects; and limitations on the im-plementation of projects that involve build-ing, expanding or rehabilitating infrastruc-ture. Such obstacles have hampered theability of humanitarian organizations to pro-vide assistance and protection to Palestini-ans throughout the occupied territories.

The access of national staff of humani-tarian organizations to and from the GazaStrip deteriorated in the first four months of2016, following a decline in the Israeli au-thorities’ approval rate for permit applica-tions, as well as a shortening of the dura-tion of approved permits, which previouslyhad been valid for three months.

SAFETYSafety is a basic need for a people to de-velop. Gaza’s 139 square miles are en-closed by Israel’s barrier wall manned withautomated gun towers, as well as a navalblockade along the sea coast. The citizensof Gaza suffer from frequent military incur-sions from ground, sea and air, the deaf-ening sound of warplanes breaking thesound barrier in the middle of the night,and the constant buzz of military drones.

Gaza has long been a testing ground forIsraeli weapons and tactics for controlling alarge civilian population (See “The Lab” byJonathan Cook, September 2013 Wash-ington Report, p. 16). These tactics of iso-lation, containment and controlled de-de-velopment are being finetuned and ex-ported to the rest of the existing Palestinian“bantustans” or “reservations.” EastJerusalem and cities in the West Bank, likeBethlehem and Jericho, already have beencontained and broken off from the world, aswell as from each other, and are quickly be-coming many more Gazas in the making.

UNCTAD has warned that these condi-tions cannot be reversed “short of endingthe blockade.” Unless that happens in thenear future, nearly two million people will becontained in an area that can no longersustain life. Still, there is hope and a reasonfor our motivation to action. The U.N. reportqualifies that this will happen “if current eco-nomic trends continue.” It is up to all of uswho still hold to a common humanity and abelief in the dignity and worth of people tostand up and make sure that they don’t. ■


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abood_13-14_Special Report 7/14/16 7:06 PM Page 14

[AT THE DEMOCRATIC Party platformdrafting meeting in late June, I introducedBernie Sanders’ amendment to the Is-rael/Palestine section calling for an end tothe occupation and settlements. What fol-lows are my comments, speaking for theamendment:] During her opening comments, DNC

Chairwoman [Debbie] Wasserman Schultzspoke about “putting ourselves in others’shoes.” That’s what we’ve tried to do withour amendment. We do not often see theArab-Israeli conflict through Palestinianeyes. As Senator Sanders has madeclear, there are two peoples in this con-flict—who need to be understood andwhose pain needs to be recognized.While the platform calls for a “two-state

solution,” just using language about twostates doesn’t acknowledge the reality thatthe Palestinians are living under occupa-tion. Palestinian land is being taken by set-tlements. Palestinians are enduring check-points that daily brings horrific humilia-tion—denying them freedom of move-ment, employment, and the opportunity togive their children free space in which tolive. That’s the situation in the West Bankand Jerusalem.Gaza is another story entirely, with 60

percent unemployment and even higheryouth unemployment. You must under-stand that in Gaza, if you’re a young manunder 30, you most likely have never hada job, have no prospect of a job, andtherefore no opportunity to have a familyor build a decent future. And so death be-comes a more desirable option for some.Suicide rates are up, mental illness is up,drug addiction is up. The situation is un-sustainable and it must change.

If you review our party’s past platforms,they have lagged way behind reality. I re-member being in this same debate in1988, when we called for our party’s plat-form to include “mutual recognition, terri-torial compromise, and self-determinationfor both peoples.” Back then, people re-acted as if the sky were going to fall. It did-n’t, we survived. We did not recognize aPalestinian state in our platform until 2004,after George W. Bush said it.Now we have an opportunity to send a

message to the world, to the Arabs, the Is-raelis, the Palestinians, and to all Americansthat we hear the cries of both sides. ThatAmerica wants to move toward a real peace

because it understands that there’s suffer-ing here. Suffering that is unsustainable.The term occupation shouldn’t be contro-

versial. George W. Bush said that there wasan occupation. Ariel Sharon said that therewas an occupation. Barack Obama has saidthere was an occupation. There is an occu-pation. It denies people freedom. Our pres-ident has said that. We have to be able tosay in our politics what we say in our policy.We can’t think with two brains. If our policysays it’s an occupation and settlements arewrong and they inhibit peace, why can’t ourpolitics say it? It doesn’t make sense.The next administration will behave just

as the last one, but our politics won’tchange. And so I urge you to considerpassing this amendment because of themessage it will send forcefully and clearly.A message of hope to Palestinians, a mes-sage of hope to peace forces in Israel, anda message to the American people—thatthis time we’re going to make a difference.And we are actually going to help the par-ties move toward peace.[The Clinton campaign spokespersons

presented their rebuttal. Attempting to makethe point that Israel was a tolerant democ-racy, one Clintonite said that she was proudas a Jewish, lesbian woman that Israel wasthe only country in the Middle East whereshe could walk down the streets of Tel Avivholding hands with her wife. In my closingargument, I responded:]Now, you can walk down the street in Tel

Aviv holding the hand of your wife, but Ican’t get into the airport in Israel withouthours of harassment because I’m of Arabdescent. And I’m not even Palestinian, butbecause my father was born in Lebanon, Iget stopped. When I was working with VicePresident [Al] Gore, I almost missed a din-ner at the Knesset to which he had invitedJames J. Zogby is president of the Arab Amer-

ican Institute.

15

Democratic Party Platform Fight onIsrael and Palestine

By James J. Zogby


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What They Said

Continued on p. 27

zogby_15_What They Said 7/14/16 5:13 PM Page 15

Turkey’s Foreign Relations Thaw—Back to Basics?By Jonathan Gorvett

SOME SIX YEARS after Israeli commandos stormed aboard theTurkish vessel Mavi Marmara, shooting dead nine of its peace-activist crew and sending already frayed relations betweenTurkey and Israel into a nosedive, the two countries formallymade up in June, signing a new rapprochement deal. The signing ceremony, held

simultaneously in Ankara andJerusalem, appears to bring toan end a lengthy period of offi-cial hostility between these twoEastern Mediterranean militaryand economic giants. The signing also heralds a

“back to normal” approach for Turkish foreign policy. This hadbegun under the previous prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, withAnkara beginning talks with Israel as long ago as 2013. Yet Turkeynow has also started mending fences with Russia—torn up by theshooting down of a Russian jet in November 2015—and has an-nounced that it is negotiating a rapprochement with Egypt. The lat-ter saw relations sour after strong support from Ankara for the Mus-lim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi and condemna-tion of the Sisi coup.These dramatic steps—all coming within a few days of each

other, even though the Israeli rapprochement had been underwayfor some time—clearly indicate the abandonment of what might bedescribed as a more “forward” Turkish policy within the region. Iron-ically, Ankara’s strategic goal had started out under then-ForeignMinister Davutoglu as “peace with all our neighbors,” yet had ended,at his resignation as prime minister back in May, with Turkey in con-flict with almost all of them. The new prime minister, Binali Yildirim, is much more a servant

of the real power in Turkish policy making, President RecepTayyip Erdogan. Thus it seems likely that Erdogan is behind thisfast-moving flip toward regional rapprochement.Clearly, then, much has changed between the Erdogan who

famously stormed off the stage at Davos in 2009, accusing Is-rael of war crimes, and the Erdogan who wants reconciliationwith Israel in 2016.

One major factor behind this is the economy—although tradebetween Israel and Turkey had never suffered in the way thattrade with Russia suffered after the downing of the Su-24. In-deed, in 2014, bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel stoodat $5.62 billion, more than twice what it had been in 2009. TheIsraeli port of Ashdod remained the funnel for Turkish exports tothe wider Middle East, while most Israeli oil came in via the Turk-ish port of Ceyhan.Yet the rapprochement does offer the potential for further busi-

ness in one sector in particular:energy.Israel has large natural gas

reserves offshore. Turkey, onthe other hand, has virtually nohydrocarbon reserves of itsown and relies on imports, fromRussia and Azerbaijan, but

also increasingly from Iraq and Iran, with the former increasinglydominated by imports from Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government.Diversifying its supplies is thus of strategic importance to Turkey,while diversifying its export market is important to Israel. Turkeycan also act as a major conduit for the gas into the Europeangas grid, to which it is connected.Yet there is a major snag in joining up these dots—the prob-

lem of getting Israeli gas to market. Several schemes for this areon the table. The first is for an undersea pipeline from the gas fields to

Turkey’s southern coast. The obstacle to this is that, thanks tothe interlocking territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZs) of the Eastern Mediterranean states, such a pipelinewould have to pass through the Cypriot EEZ. This is itself dis-puted by Turkey, which does not recognize the largely-GreekCypriot government in Nicosia and instead is alone in recogniz-ing the breakaway “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”(TRNC). A whole can of worms would thus be opened by anysuch pipeline project, unless there was a settlement to thedecades-old Cyprus dispute. While recent times have seen increased optimism over the

likelihood of this, there are now growing doubts on the islandover whether such a deal is possible any time soon. Any dealwould also have to go to a referendum on both sides of the defacto divided island before being implemented.A further issue here, however, is that Cyprus has its own gas

reserve, the undeveloped Aphrodite field, which lies next to the

Three Views

Jonathan Gorvett is a free-lance writer based in Istanbul.


Turkey and Israel Back Together Again

It seems likely that Erdogan is behind this fast-moving flip

toward regional rapprochement.

views_16-19_Three Views 7/14/16 7:32 PM Page 16

major, Israeli, Leviathan field. Cyprus is anxious to developAphrodite, but would likely only be able to do so in cooperationwith Israel, due to geographical and size constraints. This has ledto increasing Cypriot friendship with Israel recently, including theprovision of Cypriot airspace for Israeli military exercises. Indeed,recent years have seen heightened cooperation among Israel,Cyprus and Greece, with another, yet highly unlikely, pipelinesometimes proposed running from Israel to Crete. Developing Aphrodite, however, brings Cyprus into conflict with

Turkey and the “TRNC,” which claim that the field’s resources be-long to Turkish as well as Greek Cypriots. It may be, however, thatIsrael could use its leverage over Aphrodite to pressure Cyprusinto giving the go-ahead for an Israel-Turkey pipeline, although thiswould likely have serious domestic consequences for the Cypriotgovernment. There is also some discussion as to whether Israelneeds Nicosia’s permission to lay a pipeline through the CypriotEEZ at all, even if it would prefer it, under the terms of the EnergyCharter Treaty, which Cyprus and Turkey have signed and whichdoes not consider EEZs sovereign territory.Given the highly complex nature of all these relationships, a sec-

ond potential scheme might be to pipe the gas to Egypt, where itcould be converted into Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) using surpluscapacity at plants in the Nile Delta. From there, it could be shippedto the European, or indeed, Turkish, market. This could be one ofthe reasons why Turkey is now pursuing rapprochement with Cairo.Recent further Egyptian gas discoveries have, however, put a ques-tion mark over this spare capacity.Economics is not the only sphere in which the Turkish-Israeli rap-

prochement will have an effect, however. The two had previouslybeen able to exercise pressure on a joint neighbor, Syria, and ajoint Middle Eastern rival, Iran. Indeed, it is the advancement ofIranian influence in Syria and Iraq, along with the recent P5+1 nu-clear deal with Tehran, that has likely also pushed Israel to seek arapprochement with Turkey—despite significant internal opposi-tion—while Turkey looks for alternatives to its largely unsuccessfulpolicy in Syria. Iran, too, may be an important reason for Ankara’spivot on relations with Cairo, where concerns are also high overspreading Iranian and Shi’i influence in the region.One question, of course, is where this now leaves the Pales-

tinians, who had been cheered by Erdogan’s earlier shift againstIsrael. The rapprochement deal will not see the Israeli blockade ofGaza lifted—a longstanding Turkish requirement for a deal—butwill see Turkish aid funnelled to the strip via Ashdod. In addition,Turkey will begin building a power plant and water distribution cen-ter in the Strip. This, some Palestinian observers have com-mented, is at least something, although others have condemnedTurkey for its new accommodation. Certainly, the kind of “soft power” that Turkey had in the Mid-

dle East following its break with Israel and before the “ArabSpring” will not now return. Turkey has blotted its copybook fartoo much since, particularly with Davutoglu’s continuous neo-Ot-toman rhetoric, which seemed oblivious to feelings throughoutthe Arab world about centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule. Closer

ties with Israel are also unpopular with radical Islamists, withsome suggestion that the recent bloody attack on Istanbul air-port, blamed on ISIS, may have been timed along with the rap-prochement deal. Certainly, rapprochement with Russia pitsTurkey more directly against Da’ish, with Ankara already an-nouncing its willingness to cooperate with Moscow more closelyin combatting this group.Summing up much of this new turn, President Erdogan used

his Eid al-Fitr speech to the nation, at the ending of the Holymonth of Ramadan.“We are removing the barriers in our path one by one,” he

said, with the new policy dubbed a “circle of peace.” Currentlysurrounded by a circle of conflict, the success of such a policymight indeed be widely welcomed.

Gaza Impressions of the Turkish-Israeli DealBy Mohammed Omer

THERE MAY NOT be many customers lately, but Munir Akhras,46, nevertheless stands at his shop door, trying to make a livingselling light switches and bulbs in Israeli-blockaded Gaza. On thislate June day, however, he also feels abandoned and frustratedon hearing of Turkey's renewal of ties with Israel, and its decisionto drop demands that Israel end the siege of Gaza.“Turkey pretended to be an ally…but politics are immoral,” he

observes. He adds, however, that hope persists that a possiblereconciliation between Turkey and Egypt may put pressure onCairo to open the Rafah crossing. Currently the crossing isopened only under exceptional circumstances—even thoughGaza’s 1.9 million residents see the Israeli blockade, enforcedalso by Egypt, as constituting such circumstances, as well as vi-olating international law. With few exceptions, the Rafah cross-ing has been shut for months. Egypt cites security in Sinai as justification for the closure, but

Gazans feel it is Egypt’s way of punishing Gazans who in 2006,along with West Bank Palestinians, democratically voted forHamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. In their much-anticipated June 26 announcement, Turkey and

Israel said relations would thaw after six years of animosity overthe Israeli boarding of the humanitarian aid ship Mavi Marmara ininternational waters off the coast of Gaza, when Israeli comman-dos killed nine Turkish nationals and an American citizen.But hoped-for concessions from the Israelis—namely the eas-

ing of Gaza's siege and naval blockade—were unrealized. In-stead, Israel agreed to allow 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid toGaza as well as the future construction of a much needed hos-pital and desalination and power plants. “In Gaza we were hoping for more—we want our children to


Award-winning journalist Mohammed Omer reports on the GazaStrip. Follow him on Twitter: @MoGaza.


wake up one day to no military or economic blockade,” Akhrassays, to his friend Mustapha Tartouri’s statement that the dealbrings some hope that Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza willgain attention in the international media.In the days before the deal was announced, Hamas officials

had alternated between confirming and denying that it mightmean an end to the siege, while stating all along that it appreci-ated Turkey’s "supportive stance" for the people of Gaza.Ahlam Abdeljawwad, a Gaza-based engineering student, says

that one should view the deal as a case of Turkey following itsown interests. “Turkey comes first here,” she states, arguing that“it is justified. The interest of 75 million Turkish inhabitants comesbefore almost 1.9 million inhabitants in Gaza.”At least now, however, she adds, Gaza will at least have more

calm than in previous years: “It is hard to imagine Turkey allow-ing Israel to launch another war on Gaza.” Her friend Feda’a ex-pects “to see openings for Turkish commercial activity in Gazamarkets.” The hopes of other Gazans remain high that local job-creation

schemes will at least somewhat ease the economic punishmentinflicted by the Israeli siege. With nearly half—about 43 per-cent—of Gaza's 1.9 million residents unemployed, Gaza suffersthe highest unemployment rate in the world. Gazans who are pro-Fatah, however, have been mocking

Hamas on social media, showing a satirical cartoon depicting thedeal as an empty donkey cart heading into the sea. Other Gazans, after doing some calculations, determined how

much aid every Gazan might receive from the shipment of aidfrom Turkey: less than 6 kilos (13 pounds) per person. Hamed Daoud, an unemployed father of five, notes that the

aid shipment to Gaza includes 10,000 toys. “So,” he asks, “toys will break the blockade?”

People Above Politics: Political DealWill Not Hamper the Turkish-Palestinian BondBy Ramzy Baroud

HYPED EMOTIONS, AND political opportunism aside, the Is-rael-Turkey normalization deal signed on June 27 is unfavorablefor Palestinians—and for Gazans, in particular.There is much that is being said to blame Turkey or placate

the damage of seeing Turkey—which has for years been one ofthe most visible backers of Palestinian Resistance—reaching outto Israel. Yet, no amount of text, statements and press releasescan diminish the psychological defeat felt in Gaza following theannouncement.Gazans are emotionally exhausted after 10 years of siege,

dotted by devastating wars and the lack of any political horizon.Aside from their resistance, undying faith and legendary stead-fastness, Palestinians in Gaza have looked up with much hopeand anticipation to a few friends. One was Turkey.The relationship was cemented in May 2010, when Israeli

commandos raided the “Freedom Flotilla” in international waters,killing nine Turkish humanitarian activists aboard the MV MaviMarmara. A tenth activist died later from his wounds. Since then,many Palestinians, as well as many Turks, have felt that the re-lationship between Palestine and Turkey entered a new phase,not that of words, but deeds. They had more in common thansentimental gestures of friendship, now, blood and tears.There is no question that Turkey, an important NATO member

and an American ally in the region, has been under much pres-sure since it demoted its diplomatic ties with Israel in 2011. But thefact is, normalizing ties with Israel without the latter lifting the suf-

focating and deadly siege on Gaza was nota criterion for Turkey. Neither the Turkisheconomy, political stability nor national se-curity was exceedingly damaged by theTurkey-Israel rift.The little known fact is that the rift hardly

affected trade between both countries.“Though political relations had hit rock bot-tom, both Turkey and Israel knew busi-ness must go on,” Turkey’s TRT World re-cently reported.“Business and politics were separated

by a Chinese Wall-like efficiency. Trade

WaShInGTon RePoRT on MIddle eaST aFFaIRS aUGUST/SePTeMbeR 201618

Dr. Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syn-dicated columnist, a media consultant, anauthor of several books and the founder ofPalestineChronicle.com. His books includeSearching Jenin, The Second Palestinian In-tifada and his latest, My Father Was a Free-dom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story (availablefrom AET’s Middle East Books and More). Hiswebsite is <www.ramzybaroud.net>.

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not only continued, but expanded by 26 percent compared to2010.”Moreover, 2013 and 2014 were two of the busiest years for

Turkish Airlines carrying passengers between Turkey and Israeland, in 2015, trade between both countries had risen to $5.6 bil-lion, according to Turkish Statistics Institute, cited in TRT.Still, thanks to what seemed like a principled Turkish position

on Gaza, Turkey’s status, at least among Muslim nations, hasbeen elevated like never before.Perhaps, Turkey has felt embattled as a result of the war on

Syria, the rise of militant violence, uncertain economic forecast,the flood of refugees, its conflict with Russia and the political crackwithin its ruling party. But Palestinians have played no part in that.If Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan felt the need

to re-evaluate his political course as a result of whichever politi-cal calculation he found urgentand reasonable, what sin didGazans commit to be disownedin such a fashion?It is a “stab in the back,” Gaza

Prof. Haidar Eid wrote. It is a“cheap manipulation of thePalestinian cause,” complainedGaza journalist Ghada Albardawil. While others tried to maintainconciliatory language, the disappointment in Gaza—in fact,among most Palestinians—is unmistakable.Gaza-based Dr. Ahmad Yousef refused to blame Turkey for

failing to lift the siege. Yousef, who is also the former political ad-viser to Hamas’ Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh, told Al-Monitor that“Hamas believes that, under the Turkish-Israeli agreement,Turkey achieved as much as it can to ease the blockade onGaza, which has been plagued by economic crises.”This reasoning, however well-intentioned, is off the mark.

Turkey, of course, cannot be blamed for the failure to lift thesiege. The siege is an Israeli one, and its deadly outcomes arethe moral and legal responsibility of Israel, its regional partnersand Western supporters.However, it is still incumbent on Turkey, as it is on every other

country in the world, not to do business with a government ac-cused of war crimes, including that of Crime of Apartheid, in ad-dition to its continued violations of international and humanitarianlaw.With Israel illegally occupying the West Bank and East

Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and imposing a deadly siege on Gaza,what moral justifications can the Turkish government provide tojustify its normalization of ties with Israel?Not only does the agreement ensure the families of the 10

Turkish victims (considered “martyrs” by Palestinians) will be de-nied the right to legally pursue criminal charges against their Is-raeli murderers, thousands of Palestinian families, too, will haveno such chance.In other words, business as usual will return to the Turkish-Is-

raeli relations, while Gazans are trapped behind fences, walls

and barbed wire.Those who wish to see the cup half full cite the fact that Gaza

will be receiving tons of Turkish aid, a future hospital with the ca-pacity to hold 200 beds, and a water desalination plant—espe-cially when considering that only 3 percent of Gaza’s water is ac-tually drinkable.But the supplies will be routed via an Israeli seaport—which is

exactly what the Mavi Marmara activists refused to do. The po-litical move would further validate the Israeli occupation, and thesiege apparatus as well.Worse, this arrangement—if it is, indeed, fulfilled—would re-

duce the crisis in Gaza to that of a humanitarian one. But this isnot the case. Gaza is not just suffering from an economic em-bargo, but a politically-motivated blockade following the 2006 de-mocratic elections in Palestine, the result of which was rejected

by Israel and its backers.Gazans are punished purely

as a result of a political ques-tion and, later, for their resis-tance and refusal to succumbto pressure and bullying. Nei-ther foodstuff, nor a hospital orcleaner water will resolve any

of these dilemmas.When Israeli commandos violently raided the “Freedom

Flotilla” in May 2010, something extraordinary happened inGaza: a deep sense of loss, but also a sense of pride. It was thefirst time that this generation experienced real solidarity ema-nating from a Muslim country, exhibited with such resolution andwillingness to sacrifice.For years, many in Gaza were partly sustained by the hope

that Turkey would maintain its support (as Palestinians werepromised repeatedly) until the siege is lifted.This has not been actualized. Moreover, Israel is expected to

generate massive wealth as a result of the deal, especially whenit is able to export its natural gas to Europe, via Turkey.But if this is not entirely about money, at least from the Turkish

perspective, what is it, then? A Turkish foreign policy realign-ment? A return to the “zero problems with our neighbors” ap-proach to foreign policy? Whatever it is, seeing the hopes inGaza dashed under the crushing weight of realpolitik is dis-heartening.No matter that some are proposing to sugarcoat the Israel-

Turkey rapprochement, the deal was a blow to Palestinian hopesthat their siege was about to end, that they were no longer alonefacing Israel’s military machine and its powerful Western bene-factors.Perhaps the deal is also a wake-up call—that Palestinians

must count on themselves first and foremost, achieve their elu-sive unity and seek solidarity the world over.Nevertheless, even this unfair deal cannot possibly break the

bond between the Turkish and Palestinian people. “Blood isthicker than water,” they say. And they are right. ■


Perhaps the deal is also a wake-upcall—that Palestinians must count on

themselves first and foremost.


Searching for a “Responsible Adult”:Is Brexit Good for Israel?By Ramzy Baroud

AFTER MONTHS OF anticipation, the United Kingdom has de-cided to leave the European Union (EU). Although, the resultswere fairly close—51.9 percent voted to “Leave” vs. 48.1 percentelected to “Remain”—the consequences of the decision will befar-reaching. Not only will the Brits negotiate their exit from theEU (thus, the term “Brexit”) within the next two years, but the de-cision is likely to usher in an upheaval unwitnessed before in EUhistory.But is it good for Palestine?In the shadow of the so-called Brexit debate, a whole different

discussion has been taking place: “is Brexit good for Israel,” oras an Israeli commentator, Carlo Strenger, phrased it in the Is-raeli daily Haaretz: “what does [Brexit] mean for the Jews?”In a last minute pandering for votes, British Prime Minister

David Cameron—who, to his credit, hadthe dignity to resign after the vote—made a passionate appeal before aJewish audience on Monday, June 20.He told the Israel supporters in the char-ity “Jewish Care” that staying in the EUis actually good for Israel.He presented his country as if it is

the safeguard of Israeli interests at theUnion. The gist of his message was:Britain has kept a watchful eye on Brus-sels and has thwarted any discussionthat may be seen as hostile towards theJewish state.“When Europe is discussing its atti-

tude towards Israel, do you wantBritain—Israel’s greatest friend—inthere opposing boycotts, opposing thecampaign for divestment and sanc-tions, or do you want us outside the

room, powerless to affect the discussion that takes place?” hetold the largely Jewish audience.Predictably, Cameron brought Iran into his reasoning, vowing

that, if Britain remained in the EU, his country would be in astronger position to “stop Iran [from] getting nuclear weapons.”While the “Leave” campaign was strongly censured for unethi-

cally using fear-mongering to dissuade voters, Cameron’s com-ments before “Jewish Care”—which were an extreme andbarefaced example of fear-mongering and manipulation of Israel’sso-called “existentialist threats”—received little coverage in themedia.Indeed, Britain has played that dreadful role for decades, mut-

ing any serious discussion on Israel and Palestine, and ensur-ing more courageous voices like that of Sweden, for example,are offset with the ardently and unconditionally pro-Israel senti-ment constantly radiating from Westminster. Who can forgetCameron’s impassionate defense of Israel’s last war on Gaza in2014, which killed over 2,200 mostly Palestinian civilians?Unequivocally, Cameron, along with his Conservative Party,

has been a “staunch ally of [Israeli] Prime Minister Binyamin Ne-tanyahu,” as described by Israeli commentator Raphael Ahren,writing in the Times of Israel. His love for Israel can also be moreappreciated when compared to, also according to Ahren, “cur-rent head of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn—who is a harsh

Two Views

Ramzy Baroud (<www.ramzybaroud.net>) is a media consultant, aninternationally-syndicated columnist and the editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter:Gaza’s Untold Story (available from AET’s Middle East Books andMore).


Brexit and Israel/Palestine

views-brexit_20-22_Two Views 7/14/16 7:22 PM Page 20

critic of Israel and has called Israel’s arch-foes Hamas andHezbollah ‘our friends.’”Since Corbyn was elected to the helm of the Labour Party with a

landslide victory in September of last year, an apparently manufac-tured controversy alleging rampant anti-Semitism within Labour hastaken away from the party’s attempt to refocus its energies on chal-lenging the Conservative’s neoliberal policies, and slowing down themomentum of the ultra-right Independence Party of Nigel Farage.That contrived “crisis” was largely the work of the Israel lobby

in the UK, per the assessment of investigative journalist AsaWinstanley. It was a “witch-hunt” that reached an unprecedenteddegree of incongruity. “It has reached such an absurd volumethat any usage of the word ‘Zionist’ is deemed to be anti-Se-mitic,” he wrote, “although, tellingly, not when used by self-de-scribed Zionists.”Indeed, many members of Labour were either themselves in-

volved in that “witch-hunt” or succumbed to its pressure, takingoutrageous steps to defend against the unwarranted accusa-tions. As a result, the embattled and disorganized Labour, too,urged its supporters to stay in the EU and they, too, lost the vote.As for Israel, Brexit meant uncertainty and also opportunity.The EU is Israel’s largest trade partner, and an economically

weaker Union is destined to translate to less trade with Israel, thusfinancial losses. But Israel has also been sharply critical of the EU,with Israeli leaders making all sorts of accusations against sup-posed European anti-Semitism, and with Netanyahu himself call-ing for mass emigration of European Jewry to Israel.Part of the reason why Tel Aviv has been fuming at the EU is

the nuclear agreement with Iran, in which the EU is a co-signa-tory. The other reason is a decision last November by the EU toimpose new regulations on products made in Jewish settlementsbuilt illegally on Palestinian land. According to the new guidelines,goods produced in these settlements must be labeled “made insettlements,” a decision that further strengthened calls throughoutEurope for boycotting Israel altogether.That decision, and others, increasingly made the EU appear

as an untrustworthy ally to Israel; and precisely because of that,David Cameron desperately tried to sell himself at the lastminute before the vote as the vanguard against other allegedlyunruly EU members who refuse to play by the well-establishedrules.Yet, interestingly, one of the loudest, and also fear-mongering,

groups that campaigned for Britain to exit the EU is “Regavim,” aright-wing NGO that advocates on behalf of the illegal Jewish set-tlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Unsurprisingly, “Regavim” used scare tactics by pushing a

Palestinian bogeyman into the midst of Britain’s historical de-bate. Its campaign included a mock video of a masked Palestin-ian fighter “purportedly from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, urgingUK citizens to remain in the European Union because it supportsthe Palestinians,” reported Al-Monitor.According to Regavim’s Meir Deutsch, the organization’s aim

was to “harm the EU over ‘its intervention in the internal conflict

between Israel and the Palestinians.’”Now that, according to Deutsch’s ruthless logic, the EU is duly

“harmed,” Israel is seeking another bulwark in the EuropeanUnion to defend its interests.Israeli analyst Sharon Pardo, while regretting the loss of a

“friend” in the Union, asserted that such a loss is not a “cata-strophe,” for the likes of Germany and the Czech Republic areeven friendlier than Britain.Israel is particularly concerned about its status within the EU’s

Foreign Affairs Council, now that the UK is leaving. “Germany hasgood chances of taking the lead here and the fact that Germanyis a close ally of Israel will clearly have implications,” accordingto Pardo, who added, “Germany is the responsible adult here.”While Israel is likely to move fast to ensure its interests, both

financial and political, are protected following Brexit, the Pales-tinian Authority is likely to move much slower and without a de-cisive, centralized strategy.The UK’s departure from the EU might not have an immediate

impact on the conflict in Palestine, especially during the comingmonths of projected upheaval, negotiations and transition; however,it could still offer Palestinians an opportunity for the future.While pressure must continue to be applied on Westminster

to end its unconditional backing of Israel, a possibly friendlier EUwithout the staunchly pro-Israel Britain may emerge. The UK’ssupport for Israel in the Union, and the backing of all Americansteps in the same direction, has seriously hampered the EU’schances of being anything but a rubber-stamp to U.S.-UK poli-cies not only in Palestine but also throughout the Middle East.While it is too early to make any significant political forecast

following Brexit, one can only hope that the efforts of pro-peacecountries such as Ireland and Sweden will be strengthened, andthat more such friendly nations will join to rein in Israel for its mil-itary occupation and demand justice for Palestine. ■

Needed: An EU Push on PalestinePeaceBy Paul R. Pillar

A COMMON THEME in commentary about implications of theJune 23 Brexit vote is that both the European Union and Britainwill be so preoccupied with sorting out whatever will be Britain’snew relationship with Europe that they will have a deficit of en-ergy and attention to devote to other matters.Paul Scham of the Middle East Institute applies this thought to

diplomacy aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, writ-ing that “it seems unlikely that the EU will be willing or able tofocus on Israeli-Palestinian issues for the foreseeable future.” He


Paul R. Pillar was a CIA analyst for 28 years. He is currently a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a nonresident se-nior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies,and a contributing editor to The National Interest. Copyright ©2016The National Interest. All rights reserved.


expects that members of the Israeli government are feeling re-lieved about that. He no doubt is right on that last point; the Is-raeli government does not want any diplomacy aimed at endingthe occupation of Palestinian territory, and it has been fightinghard to defeat the recent initiative by the French on the subject.But although the general idea of limited time and attention is

valid, there is more that the Europeans can, and should, do inmaking progress on other diplomatic matters, and on the Israeli-Palestinian matter in particular. Look beyond the discombobula-tion resulting from the British vote and one can see that the ini-tial reactions to the shock of that Thursday probably have un-derestimated the ability of the Europeans to walk and chew gumat the same time.Moreover, it will sink in over the coming weeks that Britain might

never actually leave the EU. Boris Johnson (the ConservativeParty figure who was a lead supporter of the “Leave” campaign)has good reasons to be waffling the way he has since the vote.European statesmen also will be able to understand that it is in

the best interests of the European project for them not just to sitand stew about the little Englanders. Now more than ever, withdoubts being voiced about the future of that project, there is aneed for activity that will restore a sense of commonality and mo-mentum to Europe.The EU needs good projects that will show that Europe as a

collective enterprise is robust enough that something like the

Brexit business will not screw up everything else. Vigorous diplo-macy aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is onesuch project.As a candidate for EU efforts it has several attractions. The

need for progress on the subject is as evident as it has alwaysbeen—on multiple grounds, including justice, human rights, sta-bility, and the curbing of extremism. The United States is, de-spite some encouraging evolution of attitudes in recent years,still hamstrung by its internal politics and for that reason unlikelyto function effectively as a fair-minded outsider.Looking ahead past the U.S. presidential election does not

give basis for hope that the United States will play such a roleany better than it is now. With the United States self-crippled onthe issue, the European Union is the next best actor to step intothe role.The EU already has been involved in diplomacy about the Is-

raeli-Palestinian issue, including as a member of the so-calledQuartet along with the United Nations, United States and Rus-sia. And now with the initiative of France, one of the most im-portant EU members, there is a ready-made current diplomaticvehicle for the EU as a whole to help drive.So get out of the funk about Brexit and get going on this, Eu-

rope; you have an opportunity to do yourself good when you es-pecially need it, while also doing good about a problem on an-other continent that has caused grief for decades. ■


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Alalusi Foundation is caring for over 3,344 Orphans in Iraq


THE CHILCOT REPORT on Britain’s role in the 2003 invasionof Iraq, released July 6, was as polite and guarded as a properEnglish tea party. No direct accusations, no talk of war crimesby then-Prime Minister Tony Blair or his guiding light, PresidentGeorge W. Bush. But still pretty damning.Such government reports and commissions, as was wittily

noted in the delightful program “Yes, Prime Minister,” are de-signed to obscure rather than reveal the truth and bury awkwardfacts in mountains of paper.And beneath mountains of

lies. The biggest lie on bothsides of the Atlantic was thatthe invasion and destruction ofIraq was the result of “faulty in-telligence.” The Bush and Blaircamps and the U.S. and Britishmedia keep pushing this absurd line.This writer, who had covered Iraq since 1976, was one of the

first to assert that Baghdad had no so-called weapons of massdestruction, and no means of delivering them even if it did. Forthis I was dropped and blacklisted by the leading U.S. TV cablenews network and leading U.S. newspapers.I had no love for the brutal Saddam Hussain, whose secret po-

lice threatened to hang me as a spy. But I could not abide theintense war propaganda coming from Washington and London,served up by the servile, mendacious U.S. and British media.The planned invasion of Iraq was not about nuclear weapons or

democracy, as Bush claimed. Two powerful factions in Washing-ton were beating the war drums: ardently pro-Israel neoconserva-tives who yearned to see an enemy of Israel destroyed, and acabal of conservative oil men and imperialists around Vice Presi-dent Dick Cheney who sought to grab Iraq’s huge oil reserves ata time they believed oil was running out. They engineered the Iraqwar, as blatant and illegal an aggression as Hitler’s invasion ofPoland in 1939.Britain’s smarmy Tony Blair tagged along with the war boost-

ers in hopes that the UK could pick up the crumbs from the in-vasion and reassert its former economic and political power inthe Arab world. Blair had long been a favorite of British neocon-servatives. The silver-tongued Blair became point man for the

war in preference to the tongue-twisted, stumbling George Bush.But the real warlord was VP Dick Cheney.There was no “flawed intelligence.” There were intelligence

agencies bullied into reporting a fake narrative to suit their polit-ical masters. And a lot of fake reports concocted by our Mideastallies like Israel and Kuwait.After the even mild Chilcot report, Blair’s reputation is in tatters,

as it should be. How such an intelligent, worldly man could haveallowed himself to be led aroundby the doltish, swaggering Bushis hard to fathom. Europe’s lead-ers and Canada refused to jointhe Anglo-American aggression.France, which warned Bush ofthe disaster he would inflict, wasslandered and smeared by U.S.

Republicans as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys.”In the event, the real monkeys were the Bush and Blair gov-

ernments. Saddam Hussain, a former U.S. ally, was deposedand lynched. Iraq, the most advanced Arab nation, was almosttotally destroyed. Up to one million Iraqis may have been killed,though the Chilcot report claimed only a risible 150,000. As Hus-sain had predicted, the Bush-Blair invasion opened the gates ofhell, and out came al-Qaeda and then ISIS.The U.S. and British media, supposedly the bulwark of democ-

racy, rolled over and became an organ of government war pro-paganda. Blair had the august BBC purged for failing to fully sup-port his drive for war. BBC has never recovered.Interestingly, the news of the Chilcot investigation was buried

deep inside The New York Times the following day. The Timeswas a key partisan of the war. So too The Wall Street Journal,Fox News, and the big TV networks.Without their shameful connivance, the Iraq war might not

have happened.Bush and Blair have the deaths of nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers

on their heads, the devastation of Iraq, our $1 trillion war, theever-expanding mess in the Mideast, and the violence that wewrongly blame on “terrorism” and so-called “radical Islam.”The men and women responsible for this biggest disaster in

our era should be brought to account. As long as Bush and Blairswan around and collect speaking fees, we have no right to lec-ture other nations, including Russia and China, on how to run ademocracy or rule of law. Bush and Blair should be facing trialfor war crimes at the Hague Court. ■

Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicatedcolumnist, and author of American Raj: Liberation or Domination?(available from AET’s Middle East Books and More). Copyright EricS. Margolis 2016.

23

The Chilcot Report: Send Our War CriminalsTo the Hague Court

By Eric S. Margolis

Special Report


The biggest lie was that the invasionand destruction of Iraq was the result

of “faulty intelligence.”

margolis_23_Special Report 7/14/16 5:15 PM Page 23

THE JUNE MEMORANDUM by 51 State Department officialscalling for U.S. military intervention in Syria has been treated innews media coverage as a case of dissent from existing Syriapolicy by individual officials involved in Syria policy.

But the memo has all the earmarks of an initiative that had theblessing of the most senior officials in the department—includ-ing Secretary of State John Kerry himself—rather than havingbeen put together by individual officials entirely on their own. Andit may mark the beginning of an effort to take advantage of thepresidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

The memo called for a “more militarily assertive U.S. role” inthe Syrian conflict in the form of “a judicious use of stand-off andair weapons, which would undergird and drive a more focusedand hard-nosed U.S.-led diplomatic process.” That is preciselythe policy option that Secretary of State John Kerry has beenwidely reported to have championed privately for years. As thestory in The New York Times, which published the supposedlyconfidential memo, noted, “[H]igher-level State Department offi-

cials are known to share their concerns.”The submission of the memo through

the State Department’s “dissent channel”appears to have been a device to make itappear entirely independent of senior offi-cials in the department. According to theState Department regulation on the “dis-sent channel,” it is to be used only whendissenting views “cannot be communicatedin a full and timely manner through regularoperating channels or procedures” or “in amanner which protects the author from anypenalty, reprisal, or recrimination.”

But there is no reason to believe that theofficials in question had any problem in ex-pressing their views on Obama’s Syria pol-icy over the years. The names of the signa-tories were not included in the documentpublished by The New York Times, but all51 officials claimed to have been directly in-volved in the making or implementation ofSyria policy, according to the report. That

would certainly encompass the vast majority of those who haveworked on Syria over the past five years. It is inconceivable thatthose officials have not participated in innumerable policy discus-sions on Syria in which their personal views were freely expressed.

THE KERRY LINEThe supposed dissenters knew very well, moreover, that Kerryhas been advocating essentially the same policy they were artic-ulating for years. Kerry began making the case for sending large-scale, heavy weapons to armed opposition groups and carryingout cruise missile strikes against the Assad regime’s air force in2013. He continued to advocate that military option in meetingswith the president, only to be rebuffed, according to the accountby The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg published in April. Obama be-came so irritated by Kerry’s recommendations for cruise missilestrikes in Syria that he decreed that only the secretary of defensewould be permitted to recommend the use of force.

Since mid-2013, Kerry has been the leading figure in a political-bureaucratic coalition favoring a more aggressive military andcovert action role in Syria. The coalition also includes the CIA’sNational Clandestine Services and civilian leaders in the Penta-gon who are loath to see the United States cooperating with Rus-sia and relying on its military power in Syria.

The Syria “Dissent” MemoBy Gareth Porter

A woman reacts as smoke rises from the Syrian town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobane by theKurds, following a U.S.-led coalition strike, Oct. 13, 2014.

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Gareth Porter, an independent investigative journalist, is winner ofthe 2012 Martha Gellhorn Prize and the author of ManufacturedCrisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare (available fromAET’s Middle East Books and More). Copyright © Middle East Eye2016. All rights reserved.


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The arguments made by the purporteddissenters are in line with some of Kerry’spublic talking points. Although he has notcalled for U.S. attacks on Assad’s forces ex-plicitly, Kerry has strongly hinted that there islittle or no hope for progress in the politicaltalks on Syria without some U.S. leverage onAssad. The memo sounds the same theme:“While the regime maintains the advantage,”the authors aver, “an undeterred [Assad] willresist compromises sought by almost all op-position factions and regional actors.”Kerry frequently reiterates in public

statements that the Islamic State (IS) can-not be defeated as long as Assad remainsin power. The memo echoes his argu-ment, asserting: “The prospects for rollingback Da’ish’s hold on territory are bleakwithout the Sunni Arabs, who the regimecontinues to bomb and starve.”

THE NUSRA QUESTIONThe memo presents missile strikes as away of responding to Assad’s “egregiousviolations of the cease-fire.” The idea thatAssad is responsible for the breakdown ofthe cease-fire, which ignores the well-doc-umented fact that many of the groups thatKerry calls the “legitimate opposition”openly sided with al-Nusra Front in delib-erately and massively breaking the cease-fire, is also part of the Kerry State Depart-ment public posture. The memo nevereven mentions the problem of al-NusraFront and the risk that the use of U.S. force

to change the military balance between theopposition and the regime would risk an ul-timate victory by the jihadists.One point in the memo sounds very

much like an argument intended to beleaked to the media in order to dramatizethe case for war against the Assad regime.“None of us see or has seen merit in alarge-scale U.S. invasion of Syria or thesudden collapse of existing Syrian institu-tions,” it says. Since no one in the admin-istration is advocating a “large-scale U.S.invasion” or the “sudden collapse” of theSyrian state, that sentence was clearly cal-culated to influence public opinion ratherthan to convince anyone in the State De-partment of the need for the use of force.Kerry made no effort to hide his pleasure

with the “Dissent Memo,” telling a reporteron June 20 that the memo was “good” andthat he intended to meet with its authors.His spokesman John Kirby said he wouldnot characterize Kerry’s comments as “in-dicative of a full-throated endorsement ofhis views” in the memo—an obvious hintthat it was consistent with Kerry’s views. Kirby went on to say that the State De-

partment is “discussing other alternatives,other options, mindful...that the current ap-proach is, without question, struggling.”After Kerry’s meeting with 10 members ofthe group on June 21, Kirby refused to saywhether Kerry agreed with the signatories,citing the need “to respect the confiden-tiality” of the “dissent channel” process.

CLINTON GROUP BACKS MEMOThe leak of the memo coincided with theadvocacy of the same military option by aWashington think tank with ties to HillaryClinton. On June 16, the very day The NewYork Times published the story of theleaked memo by State Department officials,the Center for a New American Security(CNAS) released a report on a study groupon defeating the Islamic State that called fora U.S. policy to “threaten and execute lim-ited strikes against the Assad regime,” tosignal to Assad as well Russia and Iran thatit is “willing to get more engaged.” Thesame report called for dispatching “severalthousand” U.S. troops to Syria.The study group was co-chaired by

CNAS co-founder Michele Flournoy, for-merly third-ranked Defense Departmentofficial, although the report was written bylower-level CNAS staff members. Sinceleaving the Obama administration in 2009,Flournoy has been critical of its defensepolicy and is now regarded as the mostlikely choice for defense secretary in aHillary Clinton administration. Clinton is clearly sympathetic to the mil-

itary option in the leaked memo. The tim-ing of the appearance of both documentsimmediately after Clinton had clinched thenomination suggests that the bureaucraticfigures behind the push for a new war inSyria are seeking to take advantage of theClinton presidential run to build public sup-port for that option. ■


ISRAELI INTEL CHIEF: WE DON’T WANT ISIS DEFEATED IN SYRIA By Jason Ditz

In a speech at the Herzliya Conference, Israel’s militaryintelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevy, took Israel’slong-standing position that it “prefers ISIS” over theSyrian government to a whole ’nother level, declaringopenly that Israel does not want to see ISIS defeatedin the war.Quoted in the Hebrew-language NRG site, linked to

Maariv, Maj. Gen. Halevy expressed concern about therecent offensives against ISIS territory, saying that inthe last three months the Islamist group was facing the“most difficult” situation since its inception and declara-tion of a caliphate.Israeli officials have regularly expressed comfort with

the idea of ISIS conquering the whole of Syria, saying

they find it preferable to the Iran-allied government sur-viving the war. At the same time, they were never soovertly supportive of ISIS and its survival.Halevy went on to express concern that the defeat of

ISIS might mean the “superpowers” leaving Syria, say-ing this would put Israel “in a hard position” after beingso opposed to the survival of the Syrian government.He then said Israel will do “all we can so as to not

find ourselves in such a situation,” suggesting that theIsraeli military is looking at direct support for ISIS as amatter of policy, and not just rhetoric.

Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. Copyright © Anti-war.com 2016.

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SECRETARY OF STATE John Kerry and United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Special Envoy AngelinaJolie attended an interfaith iftar along with 50 Syrian refugees tomark World Refugee Day on June 20, at the All Dulles Area Mus-lim Society (ADAMS) in Sterling, VA. ADAMS serves more than6,000 families (25,000 people) with 11 branches in Virginia andWashington, DC.

Anne Richard, assistant secretary of the State Department’sBureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, introduced An-gelina Jolie, who has spent more than 15 years calling attentionto the cause of refugees. “As citizens, we do not only want free-dom and human rights for every single person in our society,”said the American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian. “Wewant that for every person in the world—upholding the ideal thatall people are born equal and deserve equal rights and dignity.”Jolie reminded the audience, “It is how we treat the weakest orthe most vulnerable among us that says the most about our com-mitment to human rights and equality and justice for all people.

“And when we are most clearly seen to truly stand for thosethings in the world, that is when we are safest as a nation. That is

when we are the most respected and ad-mired. That is when our word counts mostinternationally, and that is how we inspireothers to work with us.

“And when we are at our strongest, it iswhen we draw on our diversity as a peo-ple to find unity based on our common val-ues and our larger identity. We are notstrong despite our diversity; we are strongbecause of it,” Jolie declared.

Special Representative to Muslim Com-munities Shaarik Zafar introduced Secre-tary of State John Kerry. Noting thatADAM’s Interfaith iftar is an annual event,this year it also coincided with WorldRefugee Day. “It also coincides with the hu-manitarian crisis of mammoth proportionsthat we are facing today,” Kerry pointed out.There are 65 million refugees today—“more than at any time in our history,” Kerrysaid. “If you put them all together in oneplace, one country, that would make up the

22nd largest country in the world.” In addition to the $5 billion of U.S. assistance to Syrian refugees

and annual contributions to refugees from other conflicts, Kerry said,“The United States has pledged to increase the number of refugeesthat we resettle annually from 70,000 last year to 85,000 this year,Fiscal 2016, and aiming for 100,000 in the year from now.”

Kerry went on to say, “I am particularly focused on not justwriting checks every year, but on dealing with the crisis at itsroots.” That means ending conflicts in Libya, Yemen and Syria.“Every war and every conflict actually reflects the failure of diplo-macy,” Kerry pointed out. “Every time we prevent a war or bringan end to a conflict, we make it possible for people to live nor-mally—not as a refugee, but in their own communities.”

Turning to the controversy over admitting thoroughly vettedMuslim refugees into the U.S., Kerry said, “There is absolutelyno evidence, my friends—zero evidence—that refugees whomake it through this arduous process pose any greater threat toour society than the members of any other group. Let me be veryclear: Preventing any group from entering the United Statessolely because of their race or because of their nationality or be-cause of a religious affiliation, is directly contrary to the veryideals on which our country was based.”

John Kerry, Angelina Jolie Speak at ADAMSOn World Refugee Day

By Delinda C. Hanley

(Back row, l-r) Anne Richard, Shaarik Zafar, Angelina Jolie, John Kerry, Imam MohamedMagid and Rizwan Jaka welcome young Syrian refugees on World Refugee Day.

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Delinda C. Hanley is news editor of the Washington Report.


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After the applause, Kerry continued, “Webelieve in individual rights, not collectiveguilt. And we believe in judging peoplebased on what they do, not the circum-stances of their birth or their choice of sa-cred texts. Not only that, we need to re-member that bigoted and hateful rhetoric to-ward Muslims plays right into the hands ofthe terrorist recruiters who propagate the liethat America is at war with Islam, when infact there is no country on Earth whereMuslims enjoy more freedom than in theUnited States of America.”After telling stories about individual

refugees he’s met, Kerry continued, “Therefugee story is about thousands andthousands of families who want their newneighbors to know that they are not theperpetrators of terror or violence, butrather people, people who yearn just likethem only to live in security and peace.“Let me be clear: There is nothing ideo-

logical about coming to the aid of some-one in need. In times of crisis, when thesummons goes out, Americans have tradi-tionally responded as one nation. Ameri-cans say, ‘Here we are. What can we doto help?’ That’s who we are. That is Amer-ica at its best. And that is the America that

we must restore and preserve in the yearsand months to come.” ■

me because I sat in the airport for hoursbeing grilled by people about why I wasthere and what I was doing.That was bad enough. But the treatment

meted out to the people who live there isso much worse. They suffer horrific dis-crimination. We have to be able to call itwhat it is. It is an occupation that humili-ates people; that breeds contempt; thatbreeds anger, and despair and hopeless-ness that leads to violence.All that we are asking you to do is accept

the reality of the situation. There’s an Israel;the U.S. accepts it, supports it, wants to doeverything for it. But there’s also a Pales-tinian people living under occupation, beingdrowned by settlements. And recognizewhat is happening to the people in Gaza.There is a dynamic going that we must

understand. The Israelis may be insecureabout the Palestinians but they are very se-cure about America. Palestinians are not

secure vis-à -vis Israel, and they are notsecure vis-à -vis America either. We havenever treated them fairly. In 1988 when wetried to call for mutual recognition, we couldnot get that done. We couldn’t even get theword Palestinians in the platform.Reality has moved way beyond just rec-

ognizing Palestinians are there. We need tohear their voices, understand their pain, andsay that our Democratic Party understandsthat this is a conflict that must be resolvedby respecting the rights of both peoples.[When the vote was taken, our amend-

ment lost–8 to 5.] ■


THE WASHINGTON REPORT urges readers to contributeto organizations helping refugees in the Middle East andothers that are helping resettle refugees in the U.S.,Canada or Europe. These organizations are providing vitalshelter, food, health care and education. Members of mosques, churches, synagogues and other

local organizations are gathering funds and volunteers tohelp our new arrivals, who need mentors, English classes,driving lessons, summer camps for kids, jobs and money. Not that long ago, in towns across America and in Ameri-

can communities abroad, a “Welcome Wagon” representa-tive visited new neighbors and gave them information abouttheir new community, household items to use until themovers arrived, and casseroles, cakes and cookies, andhugs. It’s up to us to help refugees settle into their newneighborhoods and show they are welcome here.If you’d like to bring some joy and comfort to refugee fam-

ilies, please mail or deliver in person loaded Metro cards,grocery and department store gift cards. Our bookstore andthe Washington Report will collect your donations and de-liver them directly to our social services contacts and volun-

teers who are already helping refugees in the Washingtonmetro area. There will be no administrative fees taken out ofyour donation.One Washington Report contributor told us she’d thrown

a housewarming party for herself but asked friends to bringgifts for refugees instead of her! How about throwing a birth-day or anniversary party and asking guests to bring newgifts for a “Welcome Wagon”? Houses of worship are gath-ering new and used items (towels, bed linens, kitchenware,vacuums, bikes—for adults and kids—working TVs, iPads,computers [loaded with educational applications], car seatsand toys) and delivering them to refugees.For now we ask you to send or deliver only gift cards or

checks—not household items, although we may revisit thatdecision—to:Washington Report/Middle East Books and More• 1902

18th St. NW • Washington, DC 20009(Checks should be made out to the American Educational

Trust Library Endowment. You’ll receive a thank-you letterand a tax deduction. Write “refugees” on the memo line sowe know it’s not for the magazine!)

Contribute to a “Welcome Wagon”

(Advertisement)

Democratic PlatformContinued from page 15

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A WAVE OF SUICIDE bombings was launched by four radicalattackers in al-Qaa, a largely Christian Lebanese village on theborder with Syria, on June 27, killing 5 locals and wounding 15.The first attacks came in the morning, but that evening a secondwave was launched, attacking the funeral for the victims of themorning bombing. Security forces were unable to prevent them.The first of the bombers appears to have tried to infiltrate through

the Muslim quarter of the city, but local residents became suspiciousof him and opened fire on him, at which point he detonated his vest.This point is worth underlining. The first of the bombing attempts ata mostly Christian village was thwarted by Sunni Muslims.The attack raised alarms in Lebanon about the Syrian civil war

spilling over onto the country. This is not the first time a bordervillage has been attacked, though the Lebanese army and theShi’i Hezbollah militia have had fair success, along with local po-lice, in keeping the terrorists out.It is a typical way of operating, or modus operandi, of radical

groups such as al-Qaeda in Syria (the Nusra Front) and Da’ish

(ISIS, ISIL) to attack soft targets like noncombat-ants in a residential village. They also target non-Sunni Muslims (as well as Sunni Muslims whodon’t kowtow to them). Christians and Yezidishave been special targets, along with Shi’i Mus-lims. One of the bombs was set off near a church.Lebanon’s Shi’i militia, Hezbollah, condemned

the attacks as the outgrowth of a hateful ideol-ogy that calls believers infidels, and pledged tocombat terrorism. It condemned those Lebanesewho secretly admired the Sunni Arab extremists.(Lebanon is probably about one-third SunniMuslim.) Lebanese Shi’i and Christians at themoment tend to be politically aligned, both fear-ing the radical Salafi groups in Syria.Lebanon, with a population of about 4 million,

hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, though todate these displaced populations have beenpeaceful. There are some 17,000 Syrianrefugees in the district of Mashari al-Qaa inwhich the village lies.Still, Beirut’s al-Nahar reports that locals are

worried that the Syrian refugee camps near al-Qaamight be targetedby the same terrorist groups that drove them from their homes.Syrian refugees were banned from entering al-Qaa after the

attacks on Monday and were placed on curfew by Baalbak-Her-mel Gov. Bashir Khidr.The local population engaged in firefights with the invaders,

who blew themselves up and caused casualties among the res-idents. Their bodies were mangled beyond recognition, but thebombs blew their heads off, which were all that remained ofthem. Their features were still visible. Three of the four bomberswere quickly identified as Syrians.The evening attack on the funeral near the church did not kill

any locals but it is said that five were wounded.Gen. Jean Kahwaji, commander of the Lebanese armed

forces, pledged that the army would deal with the terrorism threatand would not be deterred from protecting Lebanon.The Lebanese military has deeply reduced the al-Qaeda and

Da’ish presence at Arsal near the border with Syria, cutting itfrom 7,000 men to only 1,200 or so and much reducing the sizeof the territory the guerrillas hold.Lebanon’s military was cut off from crucial Saudi aid in Febru-

ary because of its internal alliance with Hezbollah, but the U.S.and other Western powers have rushed to prop it up. ■

Syrian War Spills Over: Radical Salafis AttackChristian Village in Lebanon

By Juan Cole

Lebanese Christians mourn over the coffin of a relative killed in a June 27 suicide attackon the predominantly Christian village of al-Qaa, near the country’s border with Syria,June 29, 2016.

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Juan Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of Historyat the University of Michigan. His latest book is the new arabs:how the Millenial generation is Changing the Middle east (avail-able from AET’s Middle East Books and More).Copyright (c) 2016 in-formed Comment. All rights reserved.

Washington RepoRt on Middle east affaiRs august/septeMbeR 201628

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WITH ELECTIONS approach-ing, the Washington Report ispleased to again present itsscorecard for the currentmembers of Congress. Issueswere subjectively chosen todemonstrate congressionalsupport for, or harm to, U.S.national interests in the MiddleEast.Then-Speaker of the House

John Boehner (R-OH) in early2015 invited Israeli Prime Min-ister Binya min Netanyahu toaddress Congress, without in-forming the White House. In ablatant attack on PresidentBarrack Obama, Netan yahu’sMarch 3, 2015 address wasan all-out effort to scuttle theIran nuclear negotiations thenunder way. As a result, U.S.-Israel and U.S.-Iran relationssuddenly became stronglypar t isan issues. Conse-quently, all members of thiscurrent Halls of Fame are De-mocrats, and almost all mem-bers of the Halls of Shame areRepublicans.For the House, five positive

and five negative issues werechosen. Eighteen membersregistered in all five positivecolumns with no more thanone negative mark, and they are shown in the “Hall of Fame.”The “Hall of Shame” lists the 23 House members who regis-

tered in four or five negative columns with no more than one pos-itive mark.For the Senate, five positive and five negative issues were

chosen. Ten senators registered in four or five positive columnswith no more than one negative mark, and they are shown in the“Hall of Fame.” The “Hall of Shame” lists those 21 senators whoregistered in four or five negative columns with no positive mark.

THE ISSUESHOUSE: The Positives1. Netanyahu Speech.

51 Democratic and 1Republican representa-tives boycotted Netan -ya hu’s address to Con-gress, and 23 Demo -cratic representativess i g n e d a l e t t e r t oBoehner urging him tocancel the address.Those members arerecognized in Column1.2. Pro-Diplomacy

L e t t e r . Re p . J a nSchakowsky (D-IL) initi-ated a letter to Obamaurging him to “stay oncourse ” toward anagreement with Iran.The 151 signers areshown in Column 2.3. No to Israel MOU.

A resolution, H.Res.729, urging a new long-term and “robust” mem-orandum of understand-ing (MOU) regardingmilitary aid to Israel wasstrongly pushed byAIPAC, resulting in 270co-sponsors. Thosewho resisted AIPAC’s

pressure and have NOT co-sponsored the measure are recog-nized in Column 3.4. Two-State Solution Letter. After Netanyahu said in an in-

terview that no Palestinian state would be established while heis prime minister, 79 representatives, led by Rep. Jerrold Nadler(D-NY), signed a letter to Obama urging him to reaffirm long-standing U.S. policy of support for a two-state solution to the Is-rael-Palestine conflict. Signers of the letter are recognized inColumn 4.5. Two-State Solution Measure. Similarly, 48 representatives

have co-sponsored H.Res. 686, supporting “a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Co-sponsors ofthis measure are shown in Column 5.

Shirl McArthur is a retired U.S. foreign service officer based in theWashington, DC area.

29

Ten Senators, 18 Representatives in 114th Congress’ “Hall of Fame”

By Shirl McArthur

Special Report


HALL OF FAME

Career Pro-IsraelSenate PAC Donations

Baldwin, Tammy (D-WI) $ 28,615Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) 279,044Carper, Thomas (D-DE) 60,400Franken, Al (D-MN) 52,180King, Angus (I-ME) 17,000Leahy, Patrick (D-VT)* 145,911Murphy, Chris (D-CT) 15,000Sanders, Bernie (I-VT) 4,000Tester, Jon (D-MT) 43,224Warren, Elizabeth (D-MA) 7,500

*Senators up for re-election in 2016

House

Bass, Karen (D-CA) $ 3,500Capps, Lois (D-CA) 40,723Conyers, John (D-MI) 12,000DeFazio,Peter (D-OR) 18,600Doggett, Lloyd (D-TX) 12,500Edwards, Donna (D-MD) 12,500Ellison, Keith (D-MN) 11,000Grijalva, Raul (D-AZ) 15,500Gutierrez, Luis (D-IL) 40,561Johnson, Eddie Bernice (D-TX) 9,000Lee, Barbara (D-CA) 8,500McDermott, Jim (D-WA) 14,000McGovern, James (D-MA) 16,075Moore, Gwen (D-WI) 4,500Pocan, Mark (D-WI) 8,000Price, David (D-NC) 69,327Welch, Peter (D-VT) 16,500Yarmuth, John (D-KY) 24,020

HALL OF SHAME

Career Pro-IsraelSenate PAC Donations

Ayotte, Kelly (R-NH)* $ 49,555Boozman, John (R-AR)* 16,000Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD) 148,695Crapo, Mike (R-ID)* 56,500Cruz, Ted (R-TX) 18,500Flake, Jeff (R-AZ) 23,250Gardner, Cory (R-CO) 6,000Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)* 183,523Hatch, Orrin (R-UT) 75,200Heller, Dean (R-NV) 23,000Inhofe, James (R-OK) 135,800Isakson, Johnny (R-GA)* 68,000Kirk, Mark (R-IL)* 380,436Moran, Jerry (R-KS)* 20,700Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK)* 88,800Portman, Rob (R-OH)* 37,500Roberts, Pat (R-KS) 93,300Rubio, Marco (R-FL)* 15,600Schumer, Charles (D-NY)* 132,285Scott, Tim (R-SC)* 34,800Toomey, Patrick (R-PA)* 45,950

House

Bishop, Mike (R-MI) $ 12,750Curbelo, Carlos (R-FL) 27,000DeSantis, Ron (R-FL) 8,500Deutch, Ted (D-FL) 110,550Dold, Robert (R-IL) 30,700Franks, Trent (R-AZ) 7,600Johnson, Bill (R-OH) 1,000Lamborn, Doug (R-CO) 10,500Lance, Leonard (R-NJ) 11,000Lowey, Nita (D-NY) 235,623McCaul, Michael (R-TX) 13,000McSally, Martha (R-AZ) 2,500Meadows, Mark (R-NC) 1,000Miller, Jeff (R-FL) 23,500Perry, Scott (R-PA) 0Poe, Ted (R-TX) 25,000Roe, Phil (R-TN) 0Roskam, Peter (R-IL) 33,200Schweikert, David (R-AZ) 1,000Sherman, Brad (D-CA) 115,930Walorski, Jackie (R-IN) 13,700Weber, Randy (R-TX) 0Zeldin, Lee (R-NY) 27,500

mcarthur_halls_29-42_Special Report 7/14/16 7:59 PM Page 29

HOUSE: The Negatives6. Iran Missile Tests. After Iran’s late-

2015 tests of medium-range ballistic mis-siles, congressional Iran-bashers pro-duced at least one letter and three billscondemning the tests and urging punitiveaction against Iran. Signers and co-spon-sors are shown in Column 6.7. Iran Sanctions. Opponents of the

Iran nuclear agreement continue to intro-duce sanctions measures, vainly hoping toderail the agreement. Two that seem tohave gained the most support areH.Con.Res. 100 and H.R. 4448, both af-firming the right of states to impose eco-nomic sanctions on Iran. Co-sponsors ofat least one of these measures are shownin Column 7.8. Anti-Israel Incitement. Another mea-

sure strongly promoted by AIPAC wasH.Res. 293, introduced by leading Israel-firster Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Itexpresses “concern over anti-Israel andanti-Semitic incitement within the Palestin-ian Authority.” In spite of AIPAC’s pres-sure, when passed the measure had only71 co-sponsors. They are identified in Col-umn 8.9. Anti-Palestinian Measures. Several

anti-Palestinian measures were intro-duced, including measures to move theU.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, tocut Palestinian aid, and to close the PLOoffice in the U.S. Co-sponsors of at leastone of these measures are named in Col-umn 9.10. Anti-BDS Measures. At least five

measures were introduced aimed at the“Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions”(BDS) movement in Europe, but actuallyall are worded so as to effectively equate

Israel’s colonies on the West Bank withIsrael. Co-sponsors of at least one ofthese measures are named in Column10.

SENATE: The PositivesA. Netanyahu Speech. Eight senators

boycotted Netanyahu’s speech. They arerecognized in Column A.B. Pro-Diplomacy Measures. Two rel-

atively moderate measures, S.Res. 40 andS. 669, were introduced regarding the Irannuclear negotiations. Co-sponsors are rec-ognized in Column B.C. Resolution of Disapproval. After

the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actionimplementing the Iran nuclear agreementwas submitted to Congress, the Senateacted on a Resolution of Disapproval.The resolution failed when 60 senatorsdid not vote to close debate. All but fourDemocrats voted against the motion toclose debate, and they are recognized inColumn C.D. No to Israel MOU Letter. A Senate

letter, originated by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), urginga “substantially enhanced” new long-termMOU regarding military aid to Israel wassent to Obama in April 2016. After beingstrongly supported by AIPAC, the letterwas signed by 83 senators. Those who re-sisted AIPAC’s pressure are recognized inColumn D.E. Condemn Palestinians. In Novem-

ber 2015, the Senate passed S.Res. 302expressing “support of Israel” and con-demning “Palestinian terror attacks.”When passed it had 69 co-sponsors.Those NOT among its co-sponsors arerecognized in Column E.

SENATE: The NegativesF. Review Iran Agreement. In February

2015, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) introducedS. 615, the “Iran Nuclear Agreement Re-view Act.” This comprehensive bill pro-vides for extensive congressional over-sight over the implementation of the Iranagreement. After being renamed as H.R.1191, it was signed into law by Obama onMay 22, 2015. When passed it had 67 co-sponsors, shown in Column F.G. Iran Missile Tests. After the Iran

missile tests in late 2015, at least four let-ters were sent to Obama expressing “con-cern,” and one bill was introduced to im-pose sanctions on Iran. Signers of at leastone of these are named in Column G.H. Veto Anti-Israel Resolutions.

S.Con.Res. 35 was introduced in April2016 by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), sayingthat the U.S. should continue to veto anti-Israel resolutions of the U.N. SecurityCouncil. Its 15 co-sponsors are identifiedin Column H.I. Anti-BDS Measures. At least three

measures were introduced aimed at theBDS movement in Europe. As with theHouse measures, all are worded so as to ef-fectively equate Israel’s colonies on theWestBank with Israel. Co-sponsors of at least oneof these measures are named in Column I.J. Cruz BDS Letter. In November 2015,

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) initiated a remark-able letter to a vice president of the Euro-pean Union urging the EU not to imple-ment product-labeling rules regardingproducts made in Israel’s colonies in theWest Bank. The letter says the rules wouldamount to “a de facto boycott of Israel,”which they do not. The letter’s 36 signersare shown in column J.


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Alabama Aderholt, Robert (R)Brooks, Mo (R) X X

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REPORT CARD FOR THE 114th CONGRESS


Alabama Byrne, Bradley (R) X XPalmer, Gary (R) XRoby, Martha (R)Rogers, Mike (R) X X XSewell, Terri (D) X XYoung, Don (R) X

Amer. Samoa Radewagen, Aumua (R) XArizona Franks, Trent (R) X X X X

Gallego, Ruben (D) XGosar, Paul (R) XGrijalva, Raul (D) X X X X XKirkpatrick, Ann (D) X XMcSally, Martha (R) X X X XSalmon, Matt (R) X XSchweikert, David (R) X X X XSinema, Kyrsten (D)

Arkansas Crawford, Rick (R) XGriffin,Tim (R) XHill, French (R) XWesterman, Bruce (R) X XWomack, Steve (R)

California Aguilar, Pete (D) X X XBass, Karen (D) X X X X X XBecerra, Xavier (D) XBera, Ami (D) X XBrownley, Julia (D) XCalvert, Ken (R) X XCapps, Lois (D) X X X X XCardenas, Tony (D) XChu, Judy (D) X XCook, Paul (R) X X XCosta, Jim (D)Davis, Susan (D) XDenham, Jeff (R)DeSaulnier, Mark (D) X X XEshoo, Anna (D) X X XFarr, Sam (D) X X X XGaramendi, John (D) X X XHahn, Janice (D) XHonda, Michael (D) X X XHuffman, Jared (D) X X XHunter, Duncan (R) XIssa, Darrell (R) X XKnight, Steve (R) XLaMalfa, Doug (R) X X X XLee, Barbara (D) X X X X X


HOUSE KEY: HALL OF FAME. Appears in fivepositive columns with no morethan one negative column.HALL OF SHAME. Appears infour or five negative columns withno more than one positive column.

POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netanyahu Speech

Pro-Diplomacy Letter

No to Israel MOU

2-State Solution Letter

2-State Solution Measure

Iran Missile Tests

Iran Sanctions

Anti-Israel Incitem

ent

Anti-Palestinian Measures

Anti-BDS Measures


California Lieu, Ted (D) X XLofgren, Zoe (D) X X X XLowenthal, Alan (D) X XMatsui, Doris (D) X XMcCarthy, Kevin (R) XMcClintock, Tom (R) X XMcNerney, Jerry (D) X X X XNapolitano, Grace (D) X XNunes, Devin (R) X XPelosi, Nancy (D) X XPeters, Scott (D) X XRohrabacher, Dana (R) X X XRoybal-Allard, Lucille (D) XRoyce, Edward (R) XRuiz, Raul (D) X X XSanchez, Linda (D) X X XSanchez, Loretta (D) X XSchiff, Adam (D) X XSherman, Brad (D) X X X XSpeier, Jackie (D) X X X XSwalwell, Eric (D) X X X XTakano, Mark (D) X X X X XThompson, Mike (D) X X X XTorres, Norma (D) XValadao, David (R) XVargas, Juan (D) X X XWalters, Mimi (R) X XWaters, Maxine (D) X X X X

Colorado Buck, Ken (R) XCoffman, Mike (R) X XDeGette, Diana (D) X X XLamborn, Doug (R) X X X XPerlmutter, Ed (D) X X XPolis, Jared (D) X XTipton, Scott (R) X X

Connecticut Courtney, Joe (D) X X XDeLauro, Rosa (D) X X XEsty, Elizabeth (D) X XHimes, James (D) XLarson, John (D) X X X

DC Norton, Eleanor Holmes (D)X X XDelaware Carney, John (D) X XFlorida Bilirakis, Gus (R) X X

Brown, Corrine (D) X X X XBuchanan, Vern (R) XCastor, Kathy (D) X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

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Florida Clawson, Curt (R) X X X XCrenshaw, Ander (R) X X X XCurbelo, Carlos (R) X X X XDeSantis, Ron (R) X X X XDeutch, Ted (D) X X X XDiaz-Balart, Mario (R) X XFrankel, Lois (D) X X XGraham, Gwen (D)Grayson, Alan (D) XHastings, Alcee (D) X X XJolly, David (R) XMica, John (R) X X XMiller, Jeff (R) X X X XMurphy, Patrick (D) X XNugent, Rich (R) X X X XPosey, Bill (R) X X XRooney, Thomas (R) XRos-Lehtinen, Ileana (R) X X XRoss, Dennis (R) X XWasserman Schultz, Debbie (D) X X XWebster, Daniel (R) XWilson, Frederica (D) XYoho, Ted (R) X X X

Georgia Allen, Rick (R) X X XBishop, Sanford (D) XCarter, Earl (R) X XCollins, Doug (R)Graves, Tom (R) XHice, Jody (R) XJohnson, Hank (D) X X X XLewis, John (D) X X X XLoudermilk, Barry (R)Price, Tom (R) X X X XScott, Austin (R) X X XScott, David (D) X XWestmoreland, Lynn (R) XWoodall, Rob (R) X

Guam Bordallo, Madeleine (D) X X XHawaii Gabbard, Tulsi (D) X

Takai, Mark (D) X XIdaho Labrador, Raul (R) X

Simpson, Michael (R) XIllinois Bost, Mike (R) X

Bustos, Cheri (D) XDavis, Danny (D) X X XDavis, Rodney (R) X X



POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netanyahu Speech


No to Israel MOU



Iran Missile Tests

Iran Sanctions

Anti-Israel Incitem

ent


Anti-BDS Measures


Illinois Dold, Robert (R) X X X XDuckworth, Tammy (D) XFoster, Bill (D) XGutierrez, Luis (D) X X X X XHultgren, Randy (R) XKelly, Robin (D) XKinzinger, Adam (R) X X XLaHood, Darin (R)Lipinski, Daniel (D) X XQuigley, Mike (D) XRoskam, Peter (R) X X X XRush, Bobby (D) X X X XSchakowsky, Janice (D) X X X XShimkus, John (R)

Indiana Brooks, Susan (R) X XBucshon, Larry (R) X XCarson, Andre (D) X X XMesser, Luke (R) X X X XRokita, Todd (R) X X XStutzman, Marlin (R) X XVisclosky, Peter (D) X XWalorski, Jackie (R) X X X X XYoung, Todd (R) X

Iowa Blum, Rod (R)King, Steve (R) X XLoebsack, David (D) X X XYoung, David (R) X

Kansas Huelskamp, Tim (R) X X XJenkins, Lynn (R) X X XPompeo, Mike (R) X X X XYoder, Kevin (R) X X

Kentucky Barr, Andy (R) XGuthrie, Brett (R)Massie, Thomas (R) XRogers, Harold (R)Whitfield, Ed (R) XYarmuth, John (D) X X X X X

Louisiana Abraham, Ralph (R) XBoustany, Charles (R) X X X XFleming, John (R) X X X XGraves, Garret (R) XRichmond, Cedric (D) X XScalise, Steve (R) X

Maine Pingree, Chellie (D) X X X XPoliquin, Bruce (R) X X

Mariana IslandsSablan, Gregorio (D) X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Net

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Maryland Cummings, Elijah (D) X X XDelaney, John (D) X X XEdwards, Donna (D) X X X X XHarris, Andy (R)Hoyer, Steny (D)Ruppersberger, Dutch (D) X XSarbanes, John (D)Van Hollen, Chris (D) X X

MassachusettsCapuano, Michael (D) X X XClark, Katherine (D) X X X XKeating, William (D) X XKennedy, Joseph (D) X XLynch, Stephen (D) X XMcGovern, James (D) X X X X XMoulton, Seth (D) XNeal, Richard (D) XTsongas, Niki (D) X X

Michigan Amash, Justin (R) XBenishek, Dan (R) XBishop, Mike (R) X X X XConyers, John (D) X X X X XDingell, Debbie (D) X XHuizenga, Bill (R) X XKildee, Daniel (D) X XLawrence, Brenda (D) X X XLevin, Sander (D) XMiller, Candice (R) XMoolenaar, John (R) XTrott, David (R) X XUpton, Fred (R) XWalberg, Tim (R) X

Minnesota Ellison, Keith (D) X X X X XEmmer, Tom (R) XKline, John (R) X X X XMcCollum, Betty (D) X X XNolan, Richard (D) X XPaulsen, Erik (R) X XPeterson, Collin (D) XWalz, Timothy (D) X X

Mississippi Harper, Gregg (R) X XKelly, Trent (R)Palazzo, Steven (R)Thompson, Bennie (D) X X X

Missouri Clay, Wm. Lacy (D) X X XCleaver, Emanuel (D) X XGraves, Sam (R) X



POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netanyahu Speech


No to Israel MOU



Iran Missile Tests

Iran Sanctions

Anti-Israel Incitem

ent


Anti-BDS Measures


Missouri Hartzler, Vicky (R) X XLong, Billy (R) X XLuetkemeyer, Blaine (R) XSmith, Jason (R) XWagner, Ann (R) X X X

Montana Zinke, Ryan (R) XNebraska Ashford, Brad (D) X X X

Fortenberry, Jeff (R) XSmith, Adrian (R) X

Nevada Amodei, Mark (R) XHardy, Cresent (R) X XHeck, Joe (R) XTitus, Dina (D) X

New HampshireGuinta, Frank (R) X X XKuster, Ann (D) X X X

New Jersey Frelinghuysen, Rodney (R) X XGarrett, Scott (R) X XLance, Leonard (R) X X X XLoBiondo, Frank (R) XMacArthur, Tom (R) X X XNorcross, Donald (D) X X XPallone, Frank (D)Pascrell, Bill (D)Payne, Donald (D) X X X XSires, Albio (D) XSmith, Christopher (R) X XWatson Coleman, Bonnie (D) X X X X

New Mexico Lujan Grisham, Michelle (D) XLujan, Ben Ray (D) XPearce, Steve (R) X X X

New York Clarke, Yvette (D) X X XCollins, Chris (R) X X X XCrowley, Joseph (D)Donovan, Dan (R) X X XEngel, Eliot (D) X X XGibson, Chris (R) XHanna, Richard (R)Higgins, Brian (D) X X X XIsrael, Steve (D) X X XJeffries, Hakeem (D) X XKatko, John (R) XKing, Peter (R) XLowey, Nita (D) X X X XMaloney, Carolyn (D) X X XMaloney, Sean (D) X XMeeks, Gregory (D) X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

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New York Meng, Grace (D) X X XNadler, Jerrold (D) X X XRangel, Charles (D) X X X XReed, Tom (R) XRice, Kathleen (D) X XSerrano, Jose (D) X X X XSlaughter, Louise (D) X X X XStefanik, Elise (R) XTonko, Paul (D) X X XVelazquez, Nydia (D) X X X XZeldin, Lee (R) X X X X X

North CarolinaAdams, Alma (D) XButterfield, G.K. (D) X X XEllmers, Renee (R) XFoxx, Virginia (R)Holding, George (R)Hudson, Richard (R) X X XJones, Walter (R) X XMcHenry, Patrick (R) XMeadows, Mark (R) X X X XPittenger, Robert (R) X XPrice, David (D) X X X X XRouzer, David (R) X X XWalker, Mark (R) X X

North Dakota Cramer, Kevin (R) XOhio Beatty, Joyce (D) X X

Chabot, Steve (R) X X XDavidson, Warren (R) XFudge, Marcia (D) X X XGibbs, Bob (R) X XJohnson, Bill (R) X X X X XJordan, Jim (R) X XJoyce, David (R) X XKaptur, Marcy (D) X X X XLatta, Robert (R) X X X XRenacci, James (R) X X XRyan, Tim (D) X X XStivers, Steve (R) X XTiberi, Patrick (R) X XTurner, Michael (R) XWenstrup, Brad (R) X X X

Oklahoma Bridenstine, Jim (R) X X XCole, Tom (R) X XLucas, Frank (R) XMullin, Markwayne (R) XRussell, Steve (R) X X



POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netanyahu Speech


No to Israel MOU



Iran Missile Tests

Iran Sanctions

Anti-Israel Incitem

ent


Anti-BDS Measures


Oregon Blumenauer, Earl (D) X X X XBonamici, Suzanne (D) X XDeFazio, Peter (D) X X X X XSchrader, Kurt (D) X XWalden, Greg (R) X

Pennsylvania Barletta, Lou (R) X XBoyle, Brendan (D) X XBrady, Robert (D) X X X XCartwright, Matt (D) X X X XCostello, Ryan (R) X X XDent, Charles (R) X X XDoyle, Michael (D) X X X XFattah, Chaka (D) X X X XFitzpatrick, Michael (R) X X XKelly, Mike (R) X X XMarino, Tom (R) XMeehan, Patrick (R) XMurphy, Tim (R) XPerry, Scott (R) X X X XPitts, Joseph (R) XRothfus, Keith (R) XShuster, Bill (R) XThompson, Glenn (R)

Puerto Rico Pierluisi, Pedro (D) X XRhode Island Cicilline, David (D) X X X X X

Langevin, James (D) XSouth CarolinaClyburn, James (D) X X X X

Duncan, Jeff (R) X XGowdy, Trey (R)Mulvaney, Mick (R) XRice, Tom (R) X XSanford, Mark (R) XWilson, Joe (R) X X

South Dakota Noem, Kristi (R) XTennessee Black, Diane (R) X

Blackburn, Marsha (R) XCohen, Steve (D) X X X XCooper, Jim (D)DesJarlais, Scott (R) XDuncan, John (R) XFincher, Stephan (R) XFleischmann, Chuck (R)Roe, Phil (R) X X X X

Texas Babin, Brian (R) X X XBarton, Joe (R) X XBrady, Kevin (R) X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Net

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Texas Burgess, Michael (R) XCarter, John (R) XCastro, Joaquin (D) X XConaway, K. Michael (R) X XCuellar, Henry (D) XCulberson, John (R) XDoggett, Lloyd (D) X X X X XFarenthold, Blake (R) XFlores, Bill (R) XGohmert, Louie (R) X XGranger, Kay (R) XGreen, Al (D) X X X XGreen, Gene (D) XHensarling, Jeb (R) XHinojosa, Ruben (D) X X XHurd, Will (R) XJackson Lee, Sheila (D) X X XJohnson, Eddie Bernice (D) X X X X XJohnson, Sam (R) X XMarchant, Kenny (R)McCaul, Michael (R) X X X X XNeugebauer, Randy (R) XOlson, Pete (R) X XO'Rourke, Beto (D) X X X XPoe, Ted (R) X X X XRatcliffe, John (R) X X X XSessions, Pete (R) X X XSmith, Lamar (R) X XThornberry, Mac (R) X XVeasey, Marc (D) X XVela, Filemon (D) XWeber, Randy (R) X X X X XWilliams, Roger (R) X X

Utah Bishop, Rob (R) XChaffetz, Jason (R) XLove, Mia (R) X X XStewart, Chris (R) X

Vermont Welch, Peter (D) X X X X XVirgin Islands Plaskett, Stacey (D) X X XVirginia Beyer, Don (D) X X X

Brat, Dave (R) X X XComstock, Barbara (R) X XConnolly, Gerald (D) X XForbes, Randy (R) XGoodlatte, Bob (R) X XGriffith, Morgan (R) X



POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netanyahu Speech


No to Israel MOU



Iran Missile Tests

Iran Sanctions

Anti-Israel Incitem

ent


Anti-BDS Measures


Virginia Hurt, Robert (R) XRigell, Scott (R) XScott, Bobby (D) X X XWittman, Rob (R) X

Washington DelBene, Suzan (D) X XHeck, Denny (D) X X X X XHerrera Beutler, Jaime (R)Kilmer, Derek (D)Larsen, Rick (D) X X XMcDermott, Jim (D) X X X X XMcMorris Rodgers, Cathy (R) XNewhouse, Dan (R) X XReichert, David (R) X XSmith, Adam (D) X X X

West Virginia McKinley, David (R) X X XMooney, Alex (R) X

Wisconsin Duffy, Sean (R) X XGrothman, Glenn (R) X XKind, Ron (D) X XMoore, Gwen (D) X X X X XPocan, Mark (D) X X X X XRibble, Reid (R)Ryan, Paul (R) XSensenbrenner, James (R) X X

Wyoming Lummis, Cynthia (R) X X

Alabama Sessions, Jeff (R) X X X XShelby, Richard (R)

Alaska Murkowski, Lisa (R) X X X XSullivan, Dan (R) X X X

Arizona Flake, Jeff (R) X X X XMcCain, John (R) X X

Arkansas Boozman, John (R) X X X X XCotton, Tom (R) X X

California Boxer, Barbara (D) X X X X XFeinstein, Dianne (D) X X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

REPRESENTATIVES

Netan

yahu

Spe

ech


No to Israel M

OU

2-State So

lution

Letter

2-State So

lution

Mea

sure

Iran

Missile Tests

Iran

San

ctions

Anti-Israe

l Incitem

ent

Anti-P

alestinian

Mea

sures

Anti-B

DS Mea

sures

POSITIVES NEGATIVES

A B C D E F G H I J

SENATORS

Netan

yahu

Spe

ech

Pro-Diplomacy Mea

sures

Resolution

of D

isap

prov

alIsrael M

OU Letter

Cond

emn Pa

lestinians

Review

Iran

Agree

men

tIran

Missile Tests

Veto Anti-Israel Resolutions

Anti-B

DS Mea

sures

Cruz BDS Letter

SENATE KEY: HALL OF FAME. Appears in four orfive positive columns and no more thanone negative column.

HALL OF SHAME. Appears in four orfive negative columns and no positivecolumns.


Colorado Bennet, Michael (D) X X X X XGardner, Cory (R) X X X X

Connecticut Blumenthal, Richard (D) X X X X XMurphy, Christopher (D) X X X X X

Delaware Carper, Thomas (D) X X X XCoons, Chris (D) X X X

Florida Nelson, Bill (D) X X X XRubio, Marco (R) X X X X X

Georgia Isakson, Johnny (R) X X X XPerdue, David (R) X X X

Hawaii Hirono, Mazie (D) XSchatz, Brian (D) X X X X

Idaho Crapo, Mike (R) X X X XRisch, James (R) X X X

Illinois Durbin, Richard (D) X XKirk, Mark (R) X X X X

Indiana Coats, Dan (R) XDonnelly, Joe (D) X X

Iowa Ernst, Joni (R) X X X XGrassley, Chuck (R) X X X X

Kansas Moran, Jerry (R) X X X XRoberts, Pat (R) X X X X

Kentucky McConnell, Mitch (R) X XPaul, Rand (R) X X X

Louisiana Cassidy, Bill (R) X XVitter, David (R) X X

Maine Collins, Susan (R) X X King, Angus (I) X X X X X

Maryland Cardin, Benjamin (D) X X X XMikulski, Barbara (D) X X

Massachusetts Markey, Edward (D) X X XWarren, Elizabeth (D) X X X X

Michigan Peters, Gary (D) X X X X XStabenow, Debbie (D) X X X

Minnesota Franken, Al (D) X X X X XKlobuchar, Amy (D) X

Mississippi Cochran, Thad (R) X X XWicker, Roger (R) X X X

Missouri Blunt, Roy (R) X XMcCaskill, Claire (D) X

Montana Daines, Steve (R) X X XTester, Jon (D) X X X X

Nebraska Fischer, Deb (R) X X XSasse, Ben (R) X X X X

Nevada Heller, Dean (R) X X X XReid, Harry (D) X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

A B C D E F G H I J

SENATORS

Netanyahu Speech

Pro-Diplomacy Measures

Resolution of D

isapproval

Israel MOU Letter

Condem

n Palestinians

Review

Iran Agreement

Iran Missile Tests


Anti-B

DS Measures

Cruz BDS Letter

SENATE KEY: HALL OF FAME. Appears in four orfive positive columns and no more thanone negative column.

HALL OF SHAME. Appears in four orfive negative columns and no positivecolumns.


New HampshireAyotte, Kelly (R) X X X X XShaheen, Jeanne (D) X X X X

New Jersey Booker, Cory (D) X X X XMenendez, Robert (D) X X X

New Mexico Heinrich, Martin (D) X X X XUdall, Tom (D) X X X

New York Gillibrand, Kirsten (D) X X X XSchumer, Charles (D) X X X X

North Carolina Burr, Richard (R) X XTillis, Thom (R) X X X

North Dakota Heitkamp, Heidi (D) X X X XHoeven, John (R) X

Ohio Brown, Sherrod (D) X X XPortman, Rob (R) X X X X

Oklahoma Inhofe, James (R) X X X XLankford, James (R) X X

Oregon Merkley, Jeff (D) X X X XWyden, Ron (D) X X X X X

Pennsylvania Casey, Robert (D) X X X XToomey, Patrick (R) X X X X

Rhode Island Reed, Jack (D) X X XWhitehouse, Sheldon (D) X X X

South Carolina Graham, Lindsey (R) X XScott, Tim (R) X X X X

South Dakota Rounds, Mike (R) X X XThune, John (R) X X

Tennessee Alexander, Lamar (R) X XCorker, Bob (R) X X X X

Texas Cornyn, John (R) X X XCruz, Ted (R) X X X X X

Utah Hatch, Orrin (R) X X X XLee, Mike (R) X X X X X

Vermont Leahy, Patrick (D) X X X X XSanders, Bernie (I) X X X X

Virginia Kaine, Tim (D) X X X X X XWarner, Mark (D) X X X

Washington Cantwell, Maria (D) X X XMurray, Patty (D) X X

West Virginia Capito, Shelley Moore (R) X XManchin, Joe (D) X X

Wisconsin Baldwin, Tammy (D) X X X XJohnson, Ron (R) X

Wyoming Barrasso, John (R) X X XEnzi, Michael (R) X X X


POSITIVES NEGATIVES

A B C D E F G H I J

SENATORS

Netanyahu Speech

Pro-Diplomacy Measures

Resolution of D

isapproval

Israel MOU Letter

Condem

n Palestinians

Review

Iran Agreement

Iran Missile Tests


Anti-B

DS Measures

Cruz BDS Letter


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MONDOWEISS The War of Ideas in the Middle East

On Fridays in Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians seek to visit Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. For those not permitted tocross at a checkpoint, smugglers set up locations to sneak across the separation wall. Photo: Karam Saleem for Mondoweiss.

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EVEN THOUGH, ON one level, Israeli contempt for the U.N. andinternational law knows no bounds, we have written before abouttheir desperate deep psychological need for the organization’sapproval and to abuse the body’s prestige.At the end of May, the Israeli Mission chose the U.N. General

Assembly Hall as the venue for a daylong “Building Bridges NotBoycotts conference,” which was essentially a rally of pro-Israelorganizations on how to stop the Boycott, Divestment and Sanc-tions (BDS) movement. It is somewhat odd that the U.N. wouldhost a rally against efforts to enforce its decisions on the illegal-ity of occupation and settlements, but one has to appreciate theinexorable pressure on officials from the U.S. and other allies.For example, several years ago, when Israel secured tempo-

rary admission to the “West European and Other Group”(WEOG), many of the Europeans were very upset, and only ac-quiesced because of American pressure. Partly it was princi-

ple—not wanting to be associatedwith Israeli crimes—but it was alsoprofessional jealousy, so they in-sisted that Israel would not actuallyget nominated for important posi-tions. Hard work and the adoption ofpro-Israel positions by conservativesall over Europe bore fruit this year,when Israel secured WEOG’s nomi-nation for chair of the U.N.’s SixthCommittee, the Legal Committee. Itthen went on to win the position in asecret ballot.It was well managed. WEOG usu-

ally has contested positions, and soit put up stalking horse candidates tomake it look like a contest. Clearlythe fix was in, however, and so Is-raeli Ambassador Danny Danon be-came chairman of the U.N.’s LegalCommittee. His opposition to theU.N.’s mandated two-state solutionand his support for Israel’s continuedoccupation of most of the WestBank, not to mention illegal settle-

ments, might make that anomalous anywhere else, but in thispolitical atmosphere King Herod could become director generalof UNICEF with the right backing.To pile it on, forthcoming will be Israel’s bid for a seat in the

Security Council. The election will take place in 2018, and con-tending already for two WEOG seats are Germany and Bel-gium. Needless to say, Tel Aviv’s message to Germany hasbeen, “Thanks for all the submarines and the cash. But howdare you stand against Israel with your record!” The Germansare not, so far, going quietly into that good night. After all, they(and many other countries) think they deserve a permanent seatthere, and residual guilt will not hold up against realpolitik in thecountry that invented it. In fact, WEOG often breaks out of thecozy rotation system for U.N. offices and has contested elec-tions, and Israel’s behavior is not such as to inspire Europeansentimentality on the issue! But once again, the odd scofflaw complementarity works. Se-

curity Council members often have included countries like In-donesia, occupying East Timor, and Morocco, occupying Western

Israel Wins Chairmanship of U.N. LegalCommittee, Will Seek Security Council Seat

By Ian Williams

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits an UNRWA school in Gaza, June 28, 2016.

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Ian Williams is a free-lance journalist based at the United Nationswho blogs at <www.deadlinepundit.blogspot.com>.


United Nations Report

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Sahara. In one sense, it is only fair to let Is-rael share in the breathtaking hypocrisy. Perhaps that ability was rarely so well

shown as with the Middle East Quartet.While the Quartet has been much improvedsince former British Prime Minister TonyBlair was squeezed out from the specialrepresentative sinecure that his gratefulchums in Washington had secured for him,on the other hand it still has all the marks ofits origins—which were an attempt to de-fang Russia, the EU and the U.N. on thePalestinian question by binding them into aconsensus with the U.S., which is of coursebound in that strange masochistic relation-ship with Israel.However, considering how toothless

Russia, the U.N. and the EU had becomeon the question, one did wonder why allthe effort and showmanship was neces-sary. A critical part of the equation is the Is-raeli and American need to buffer and neu-tralize the clear statements of internationaland binding resolutions of the United Na-tions that are explicitly accepted and sup-ported by all but one and a half nations inthe world. And even the U.S. and Israelnominally accept them—they just do notaccept their enforcement.The U.S., as a founder of the United Na-

tions, knows that the resolutions are bindingbut finds it politically inexpedient, for do-mestic reasons, to try to enforce them onthe U.S. So the effort is to browbeat thePalestinians into voluntarily abandoningtheir rights in bilateral negotiations with Is-rael in an unbalanced settlement that wouldthen be ratified by the U.N.So far, there is enough of a residual

sense of legality and anti-colonial solidarityin the U.N. to ensure that it would not rat-ify a settlement without the assent of thePalestinians. In a sense, the Palestiniansare lucky they don’t have a fully recog-nized and functioning state, because ifthey did someone would have arranged acoup and a complaisant regime to put itsseal on the surrender. Nevertheless, the basic pattern remains.

The Quartet allegedly monitors progress onthe famous Road Map that got lost in theglove compartment almost immediately,while the Israelis do their own thing and

continually complain about the Palestinians’inability to respond positively, indeed rhap-sodically, to land grabs, demolitions, killingsand imprisonment. History has many examples of heavily

armed bullies vilifying those they persecute,but Israel and its supporters are surelyunique in complaining about the ingratitudeof the Palestinians for their treatment. Longoverdue, a certain tone of exasperation isappearing in the statements of the variousQuartet components.

EXASPERATED QUARTET MEMBERSBan Ki-moon’s exasperation was evidentin his statement on the Quartet’s report inJuly, but he at least upheld the U.N.’s le-gitimacy and cited the Quartet’s pledge “toactively support an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of UnitedNations Security Council resolutions 242(1967) and 338 (1973).” He also reiteratedthat “a negotiated two-state outcome thatmeets Israeli security needs and creates asovereign Palestinian state, ends the oc-cupation that began in 1967, and resolvesall permanent status issues is the only wayto achieve an enduring peace.”And we can see how chastened Israel

was after the Quartet had wagged threeand half fingers at it. Ban immediately hadto criticize Israel’s announcement of 560housing units in the West Bank settlementof Ma’ale Adumim, as well as moves tobuild 240 housing units in settlements in oc-cupied East Jerusalem. “This raises legiti-mate questions about Israel’s long-term in-tentions, which are compounded by contin-uing statements of some Israeli ministerscalling for the annexation of the WestBank,” which of course have included de-mands by the current Israeli U.N. Ambas-sador Danny Danon.A frustrated Ban in his statement reiter-

ated “that settlements are illegal under in-ternational law and urges the Governmentof Israel to halt and reverse such decisionsin the interest of peace and a just final sta-tus agreement.” He was “deeply disap-pointed that this announcement comesonly four days after the Middle East Quar-tet called on Israel to cease its policy ofsettlement construction and expansion.”

But at least Ban is not out on a limb: evenRussia was upset by Israel’s indecorous fin-ger to the Quartet, saying, "Moscow is seri-ously worried over new settlement projectsin occupied Palestinian territories." The For-eign Ministry added that "Such settlementsare illegal under the international law andare not recognized by the international com-munity." The plans "run counter to the report of

the Middle East Quartet of internationalmediators that was made public on July1," the Russian statement complained,"Along with inadmissibility of violence andincitement to violence, the report stronglyrecommends to stop construction and ex-pansion of settlements on the West Bankand in East Jerusalem.”So what will be done about it? As we go

to press, the current U.S. president is hag-gling about how big the next arms aid dealfor Israel will be, and the two contenders forhis position will be seeing by how much theycan inflate it. Rule of Law, anyone? ■


m a s h r a b i y aibra ahsm ay

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williams_44-45_United Nations Report 7/14/16 5:34 PM Page 45

ON JULY 1, PRESIDENT Barack Obama signed an executiveorder that aims to lower the number of civilian casualties causedby U.S. military operations and provide greater transparency as tohow the U.S. government is exerting its military power abroad. Under the executive order, all government departments and

agencies will have to sustain and implement “best practices” de-signed to protect civilians living in areas where U.S. force isbeing used. Among the practices this order institutionalizes are:seeking the assistance of non-governmental organizations(NGOs), particularly the International Committee of the RedCross, that can help distinguish between combatants and civil-ians; acknowledging U.S. government responsibility for civiliancasualties; and offering condolences and ex gratia payments tocivilians who have been injured, or to the families of those whohave been killed.Perhaps more interestingly, the executive order also—for the

first time—requires the director of national intelligence (DNI) torelease an annual summary of counter-terrorism strikes con-ducted by the government outside areas of active combat (suchas drone strikes in Yemen and Libya). This report will also sharehow many combatants and non-combatants were killed as a re-

sult of these strikes. In conjunction with the executive order, the Obama adminis-

tration made public government figures on counter-terrorismstrikes (most of which were carried out by drones). According tothe DNI, 473 strikes have taken place outside areas of hostileactivities between Jan. 20, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2015. Thesestrikes, the government says, killed 2,372 to 2,581 combatantsand 64 to 116 non-combatants. This range of civilian deaths is significantly lower than those

released by independent reports, which have found that 200 to1,000 innocent civilians have been killed by U.S. strikes. Speaking at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC on July 6,

Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy,human rights and labor, acknowledged and explained this dis-crepancy.“I think it’s very important to stress that we are not trying to get

into an argument with conscientious people who have come outwith different estimates,” Malinowski said. “We feel that we, theU.S. government, have a unique vantage point on these strikes.There are things we see because we are the ones conductingthe strikes that people outside the U.S. government do not see.“At the same time,” Malinowski continued, “we know that

NGOs that have access to the places where these strikes takeplace—where we often do not have access—also have a uniquevantage point, and they also sometimes see things that we donot see. So it’s not surprising that people looking at the sameevent from two different vantage points would come to differentconclusions.” Hina Shamsi, director of the National Security Project at the

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), also spoke at the Stim-son event and said she believes the government could havebeen more transparent in its release of civilian casualty figures.In particular, she asked why the administration released an ag-gregate number of casualties from 2009-2015 instead of listingthe number of casualties by year. “It’s hard to see why thosenumbers couldn’t have been broken down further, at least on anannualized basis,” she said.The lack of basic details such as year and location makes it

hard for independent groups to verify or crosscheck the govern-ment’s figures, Shamsi noted. The government, she lamented,is basically asking the public to simply accept its numbers. “It ispresented as, ‘we have more information, we can’t tell you thatinformation, but trust us,’” she said.

Obama’s New Executive Order IncreasesDrone Transparency, Official Says

By Dale Sprusansky

Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy, humanrights and labor.

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SAUDI ARABIA’S DEPUTY CrownPrince/Defense Minister Mohammed binSalman visited Washington, DC, the Sili-con Valley and New York in June, accom-panied by a high-level delegation. The 30-year-old prince is the son of Saudi Ara-bia’s King Salman and third in line for thethrone after his cousin, Crown Prince Mo-hammed bin Nayef. The purpose of Mo-hammed bin Salman’s official U.S. visitwas to hold talks and explore investmentopportunities, according to Saudi ForeignMinister Adel al-Jubeir, the Kingdom’s for-mer ambassador to the U.S.

The prince is also the head of the newCouncil of Economic and Development Af-fairs, which recently published a 112-pageNational Transformation Program propos-ing sweeping changes in the Saudi gov-ernment. As he traveled across the U.S.,the confident young prince talked aboutthe Saudi Vision 2030, an economic diversification and reformplan designed to reduce the Kingdom’s reliance on fluctuatingoil revenue and establish a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund.

The prince met with State Department officials including Sec-retary of State John Kerry, defense, security and intelligence of-ficers, members of Congress, and President Barack Obama atthe White House. They discussed joint military, economic andsecurity issues, including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, aswell as the campaign against Da’ish, or ISIS.

In New York, Prince Mohammed met with United Nations Sec-retary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss a recent U.N. report whichblamed the Saudi-led coalition’s air campaigns for 60 percent ofchild deaths and injuries in Yemen. According to an official U.N.statement, the two discussed “putting into place concrete mea-sures that could improve the situation on the ground” to betterprotect children and civilians in Yemen. The prince also met withSix Flags CEO John Duffey, which may indicate entertainmentfacilities are in the works for families and children in the Kingdom.

On the West Coast, Prince Mohammed met with CEOs of techcompanies, hoping to attract investment capital and new tech-

nology to help push the National Transformation Program for-ward. The plan will train and employ tech-savvy young Saudiswho already are some of the most impressive users of socialmedia in the world.

“The young dynamic prince represents 70 percent of our pop-ulation—the youth,” said delegation member Lina Almaeena, theyoung co-founder and CEO of Jeddah United Sports, the firstlocal sports company in Jeddah. “We believe in him and his newsophisticated vision to transform our nation and steer it awayfrom oil dependency. The true engine of our country is man-power—as well as employed women,” she said. Just look at thedelegation he chose to accompany him. It includes a lot of youngpeople and women, Almaeena pointed out: “This is evidence thathe intends the inclusion of all ages and both genders.”

Dr. Ghadah Alghunaim, general director in charge of Interna-tional Cooperation for the Educational Evaluation Commission,told the Washington Report, “I believe we are entering into a newera fueled by a new generation.” Remarking on the prince’s newplans, Dr. Alghunaim reckoned: “I am living the vision.” When Al-ghunaim returned home with her Ph.D. in 2014, she discoveredshe was overqualified for most jobs and was unemployed. Thenshe was hired to help evaluate and reform her country’s educa-tion system. “My country asked me to be part of the change,” she

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Delinda C. Hanley is news editor of the Washington Report on Mid-dle East Affairs.

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Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’sDelegation: Full of Confidence and Hope

By Delinda C. Hanley

Special Report

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 WAShinGTon REPoRT on MiddlE EAST AffAiRS

(L-r) Tawfiq Alkhalifa, Lina K. Almaeena, Dr. Thuraya Al-Areedh, Dr. Ghadah Alghunaim andAbdullah Alakeel, information officer for the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.

hanley-saudidelegates_47-48_Special Report 7/14/16 5:40 PM Page 47

said. “It’s a gift—and 80 percent of the oth-ers in our commission are my age.”

Asked if there is pushback from older,more conservative Saudis, she admittedthat around 30 percent of the populationdoes not want change. “But we makemore noise,” she said, with a grin.

Thanks to Saudi Arabia’s generousscholarship programs, huge numbers ofyoung people have been exposed to manycultures around the world. They’ve re-turned with different points of view. Many,like Alghunaim, discover that their greatestsupporters are their own parents. “My fa-ther says I can do anything,” Alghunaimmused. “He thanks God our governmentsupports his vision for me.”

When Alghunaim and the rest of the 60-member delegation met the prince, who isonly three years older than she is, shesaid, “I felt he was speaking directly to me.He has the same thoughts and ideas I’vedreamed about. He’s the real deal. He

asked for our opinions and said we shouldbrainstorm. We’ll either succeed or fail. Heasked for help to succeed. I’m very opti-mistic now.”

The Washington Report asked anotherdelegate, Tawfiq Alkhalifa, editor-in-chief ofExclusive, a Saudi Arabian online newspa-per, what headline he’d choose for theprince’s official U.S. visit. “The Beginning ofHope,” he replied with alacrity, adding he’dillustrate his article with the face of a youngSaudi girl. “We are very proud of our daugh-ters,” Alkhalifa said. “There are a millionyoung women like Ghadah [Alghunaim].”

Another delegate, poet, writer and mem-ber of the Shura Council Dr. Thuraya Al-Areedh, noted, “Every society needs tofeel hope for the future. Some older peo-ple may feel skeptical or pessimistic butthey, too, want to embrace and supportthe young leader. He has tied every sec-tor to his vision for a healthy future. Everyaspect of society has to shift.” ■

Shamsi also pointed out that these fig-ures appear to use the government’s broaddefinition of who constitutes a combatant.Under international law, only those who aredirectly participating in hostilities may betargeted, she noted. However, the U.S. hasunilaterally expanded the definition of com-batant to include people who are membersof an armed group or are “targetable in theexercise of national self-defense.”

Washington’s nebulous definition of whoconstitutes a combatant is emblematic ofthe secretive and legally questionablemanner in which the country has con-ducted its drone war, Shamsi said. Thus,while she views the July 1 executive orderas a positive step, she stressed that muchmore progress needs to be made, and thatbroader questions about the legality andmorality of the U.S. drone campaign re-main.

Malinowski sought to alleviate the con-cerns of Shamsi and other observers byconveying that the president is not restingon the laurels of this executive order. “Allof this is a work in progress,” he said. “Thisis a step forward for transparency; I thinkthere will be more steps forward.”

Malinowski also urged critics to appreci-ate the historical importance and thebreadth of this executive order. “It repre-sents the first national policy we’ve everhad for the prevention and mitigation ofcivilian casualties,” he said. “The executiveorder applies to all of our military opera-tions around the world, with drone pro-grams only being a very small subset ofthat.” ■


A Project of Middle East Children’s Alliance

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oject ofr PAA P Alliance

(Advertisement)

Drone TransparencyContinued from page 46

As the female delegates waited in the lobby of the WillardHotel for the bus to take them on to their next meeting, sev-eral women attending a Daughters of the American Revolu-tion function approached to chat. Only days after the Or-lando nightclub shooting, this writer worried about an en-counter between hijab-wearing Muslims and conservativeAmericans bedecked with flowered hats, pins and medals.

I should have had more faith in my countrywomen. The

DAR ladies welcomed the Saudis to America. Al-Areedh gotinto a fascinating discussion on genealogy, mentioning thatit is simpler in Saudi Arabia because married women don’tchange their names. One DAR member said she was fromChapel Hill, North Carolina, and Al-Areedh joyfully cried,“I’m a Tar Heel, too!” and explained to this bewildered re-porter that she’d received her Ph.D. from Chapel Hill.

—D.C.H.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

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WHAT STARTED OUT this spring as a business deal to save afinancially strapped newspaper group has escalated into a na-tional movement to defend freedom of the press in Algeria. Whilemost of the media are generally pro-government, even the ac-quiescent press is often critical of official failings. Despite severefinancial constraints, a handful of newspapers and television sta-tions remain steadfastly independent. As a result, the press isremarkably open and vibrant in this secretive, authoritarian state.Despite official assurances of press freedom, an Algiers court

on July 13 blocked the $45 million purchase of El Khabar, theleading independent Arabic newspaper, and its KBCTV channelby the country’s wealthiest private entrepreneur. El Khabar’slawyers, who withdrew earlier in protest against “the parody ofjustice,” said they would appeal the decision to the Council ofState.The current showdown between the authorities and the inde-

pendent press comes at a particularly sensitive juncture. This oil-and gas-producing country faces serious financial problems be-cause of low prices, increased security threats at its borders, andpolitical uncertainty with behind-the-scene jockeying for the suc-cession to gravely ill four-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika(see June/July 2014 Washington Report, p. 30).

The El Khabar (“The News”) Affaire has stirred nationwideprotests, sit-ins and denunciations. Thousands of people havesigned petitions of solidarity with the embattled newspapergroup, and their names appeared daily in the independent press.Any infringement on the freedom of a news organ tends to stiran emotional response in Algeria, where more than a hundredjournalists died in the struggle against terrorism during “the blackyears,” from the early 1990s to The Reconciliation in 2005.Cherif Rezki, director general of El Khabar, describes the news-

paper’s policy as “democratic, republican and very independent visà vis politics, religion and money.” During a recent interview in hisoffice in the Algiers suburb of Hydra, the stocky, veteran journalistsaid El Khabar had been boycotted by the government since 1998,but had thrived in early 2004-05 with a daily circulation of about600,000, reaching a peak of 1.5 million during the 2009 Algerian-Egyptian World Cup soccer match. Since then, the press has suf-fered a gradual decline in readership and private advertising, butEl Khabar held its own. In 2014, Rezki continued, El Khabar hadhigher losses than expected with its new TV venture, because thecommunications minister pressured private companies to withdrawadvertising from the independent media. Thus, the owners of theEl Khabar group (18 journalists) solicited financial help from IssadRebrab, the very independent chief of Cevital, a vast conglomer-ate encompassing agribusinesses, household appliances, auto-mobile and other industries, which publishes the outspoken French-language daily Liberté. Agreement was reached in April, with an af-

Algerian entrepreneur Issad Rebrab (l) and Communications Minister Hamid Grine.

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Marvine Howe, former New York Times bureau chief in Ankara, isthe author of Al Andalus Rediscovered: Iberia’s New Muslims andOther Minorities.

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Algeria’s Resilient PressBy Marvine Howe

Special Report


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filiate of Cevital purchasing 85 percent of theshares of El Khabar. “It was all settled, reg-istered, notarized and taxes paid,” Rezki re-calls, emphasizing that there was no oppo-sition. Nevertheless, several weeks later the

Communications Ministry announced itwould go to court to seek the nullification ofthe El Khabar deal as a violation of the lawon monopolies. Shortly afterward, PrimeMinister Abdelmalek Sellal announced thedecision “to clean up the audio-visual sector,”with specific reference to 50 private offshoretelevision channels authorized to open tem-porary bureaus in Algeria in 2013. While thetwo actions were apparently un-related, together they wereviewed as a clear threat to theunsubdued media. Communications Minister

Hamid Grine denies that the au-thorities are engaged in a newclampdown on the media andaccused “certain parties of politicizing theaffair.” The minister, a former journalist, toldthe Washington Report that the El Khabarcase was “purely a business matter.” Ques-tioned about pro-government mediagroups, the minister said their titles weremerely French translations of the Arabic,whereas Rebrab had purchased two differ-ent newspapers. As for what he called “pi-rate” television channels, Grine claimedmany were engaged in “political or religioussubversive activities.” He indicated that allthe private channels would be closed andrequired to apply for accreditation from aregulatory agency to be set up shortly. “Wehave the freest press in Africa and the Arabworld,” the minister boasted, specifyingthere were no journalists in jail and news-papers are not seized very often. “The onlyred lines the press cannot cross are: the de-fense of terrorism, disclosure of state se-crets and an attack on the president.”In fact, it was the head of the ruling Na-

tional Liberation Front (FLN), AmarSaadani, who politicized the El Khabarcase with a ferocious attack against thepopular daily and its new owner, Rebrab,charging they were part of a “lobby” aimedat restoring power to several generals re-cently forced into retirement. He also tar-

geted the independent French-languagedaily El Watan and its courageous reporterSalima Tlemcani, as well as an El Khabarjournalist and the head of the small Work-ers’ Party, calling them all “tentacles of anoctopus.” His troubling image was widely in-terpreted as a reference to the ousted headof Intelligence Services, Gen. MohamedMediene. “This octopus, who once namedpresidents, ministers, ambassadors and di-rectors, today cannot appoint a petty chefde commune, but is laying the groundworkfor presidential elections,” Saadani told agathering of party militants. “It isn’t IssadRebrab who wants to buy El Khabar, but

the octopus under the cover of Rebrab.” The politician had a special message for

the industrialist: “Now that Issad Rebrabhas gotten rich, he wants to go into poli-tics....Rebrab must choose betweenmoney and politics; if he chooses both,he’ll lose money.” In a signed editorial, El Watan publisher

Omar Belhouchet responded to Saadani’s“grave accusations,” recalling the newspa-per’s long history of public service. Bel-houchet asserted that El Watan had “nevermade any concession” to the political police,and in return had “undergone a systematiclynching (prison, ban on advertising, sevenshutdowns, nearly 200 lawsuits, and a cam-paign of disparagement.)” Finally, the pub-lisher asked: “After the El Khabar Affaire,what have they got in store for El Watan?”Not easily intimidated, Rebrab defended

his support of El Khabar in statements tothe local and foreign press. “I’m a free elec-tron and always defend liberty against dic-tatorship,” the industrialist declared in alengthy interview with the Washington Re-port. For this reason, he had backed agroup of journalists who founded Liberté in1992 and has respected their “total inde-pendence on policy.” Naturally, when ElKhabar asked for help to resist government

pressures on advertisers, Rabrab said hehad seen it as “our duty to preserve thegroup’s independence.” Much of the interview with this self-made

magnate was devoted to his industrialachievements and numerous investmentplans blocked by the government, such asthe ambitious Cap Djinet port project, in-cluding a petrochemical complex, powerplant, steel mill and desalinization plant. Not-ing the depletion of oil and gas revenue andrapid population growth, Rebrab predicted“grave social problems” unless radical andprofound economic and social reforms areundertaken immediately.

In a new assault on the inde-pendent-minded businessman,the minister of mines and en-ergy barred Rebrab from partic-ipating in the Algero-BritishForum that he had co-spon-sored, and prevented him fromgiving a news conference on an

accord with the multinational firm ClarkeEnergy for the installation of two new powerplants. Undaunted, the industrialist took toFacebook and Twitter to offer a way out ofthe El Khabar crisis. “To show I have no po-litical ambition except the economic devel-opment of Algeria, my group Cevital isready to place the majority of its shares inEl Khabar on the Algiers stock market. AllAlgerians who defend freedom of expres-sion will be able to become shareholders.” But the authorities were in no mood for

an amicable solution. In a clear campaignof harassment against the independentmedia, two executives of KBCTV satiricaltalk shows were placed under pre-trial de-tention over filming permits, along with theofficial issuing them; a free-lance journal-ist was sentenced to two years in prisonfor posting a poem on Facebook consid-ered “insulting to the president and stateinstitutions”; and El Watan was barredfrom moving into its new premises be-cause of alleged building code infractions.A score of international NGOs have de-nounced the increased attacks on themedia, and the Algerian League forHuman Rights issued a vibrant appeal tothe president to ensure constitutional guar-antees of freedom of expression. ■


Thousands of people have signed petitions of solidarity with the embattled newspaper group.

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The Khaleej Times, Dubai

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cartoons_52_August/September 2016 Cartoons 7/14/16 6:07 PM Page 52

NETANYAHU IN HIS OWN WORDSTo the New Haven Register, June 17,2016How long and often have we heard

about the two-state solut ion for Is-rael/Palestine? Here are some recentwords of Binyamin Netanyahu:“There cannot be a situation, under any

agreement, in which we relinquish controlof the territory west of the River Jordan.”Also: “At this time, we need to control all ofthe territory for the foreseeable future.”Can any rational person believe that

these statements offer a realistic possibil-ity of the two parties coming to agree-ment? A Palestinian state with Israeli con-trol of all of the West Bank?Henry Clifford, Essex, CT

PALESTINIANS HAVE THE RIGHTTO EXIST ON THIER LANDTo the Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2016I disagree that the anti-Israel boycott

movement is a threat to peace. On thecontrary, it is a nonviolent form of resis-tance to decades of Israeli occupation,theft of Palestinian land, and monopoliza-tion of water.As a non-Zionist Jew, I support equal

rights for all in Israel, Palestine and the

right of Palestinians to return to theirhomeland.To deny them the right of return is anal-

ogous to barring Native Americans fromtheir sacred land, something we wouldnever expect the indigenous inhabitantshere to accept because it would be tanta-mount to saying they had no right to existin their homeland.Marcy Winograd, Santa Monica, CA

GOVERNOR CUOMO’S BOYCOTTHYPOCRISYTo The Washington Post, June 15, 2016I was dismayed by New York Gov. An-

drew Cuomo’s June 12 op-ed, “If you boy-cott Israel, New York will boycott you,” jus-tifying his blatantly unconstitutional execu-tive order creating a blacklist of supportersof Palestinian rights. The Democratic gov-ernor compared the nonviolent boycott, di-vestment and sanctions movement to ter-rorism. The call for BDS was instituted byPalestinian civil society leaders in re-sponse to decades of human rightsabuses that governments and leadershave not been able to abate.This was a hyperbolic attack on a con-

stitutional right to boycott and a chilling at-tack on free speech. Criticizing andprotesting a foreign government is not dis-crimination.Furthermore, Mr. Cuomo’s statements

represented sheer hypocrisy, as he sawnothing wrong with “discriminating” againstthe state of North Carolina by instituting astate nonessential-travel ban after it en-acted a law restricting public rest room useby transgender people.Mr. Cuomo should remember that he

was elected to serve the people of NewYork, in the United States, where freedomof speech and protest are constitutionalrights.Jenn Gorelik, Arlington, VAThe writer is a member of the DC chap-

ter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

BDS IS PROTECTED UNDER THEFIRST AMENDMENT To the Daily Freeman, June 14, 2016Whatever your views on Israel/Pales-

tine, McCarthyism is wrong.Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order

No. 157, which he signed June 5, shouldconcern each and every one of us. Thisorder threatens the rights of Americans totake collective action to address injusticeby using boycott as a form of free expres-sion and as a powerful means of protest.Furthermore, the creation of the relateddiscriminatory “blacklist,” which the New

York Office of General Services will poston its website and update semiannually, isblatantly dangerous.Thankfully, the First Amendment to the

U.S. Constitution protects our right to freespeech. This means we are allowed to ex-press, be exposed to and receive a widerange of facts, opinions and viewpoints,even when the ideas are unpopular. Underthis umbrella of free speech, Americanshave the right to boycott, and we have along history of using boycott as a tactic toachieve justice. Let’s remember that, be-fore the American Revolution, colonistsboycotted British goods (think “no taxationwithout representation”) and that, sincethen, American citizens (and corporations)involved in social justice movements haveused boycotts for issues such as: animalrights, testing and welfare; civil rights; en-vironmental health/integrity; human rights;LGBTQ discrimination; and labor andworker rights. The list goes on.Cuomo’s shameful order against institu-

tions and companies that support boycott,divestment and sanctions (BDS)—an in-ternational, grassroots nonviolent move-ment to gain freedom, equality and justicefor Palestinians—goes against this history.Go to <palestinelegal.org/newyork> to

learn more.The right to boycott is a constitutionally

protected form of free speech. We will notbe silent.Helaine Meisler, Shady, NY

DON’T CONFUSE ANTI-SEMITISMWITH ANTI-ZIONISMTo The Seattle Times, June 27, 2016The writers of “Recognize and speak

out against anti-Semitism” [Opinion, June27] claim: “Both anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are fueled by irrational hatred ofthe Jewish people.” They miss an impor-tant distinction in their condemnation ofanti-Semitic acts.Many Jews, including Albert Einstein,

thought that Zionism was unwise as a po-litical movement—and Einstein was cer-tainly not an anti-Semite. More important,many people have come to the conclusionthat BDS (boycott, divestment and sanc-tions) has become the only peacefulmeans left in attempting to persuade theIsraeli government to reverse its course ofviolence and oppression against Palestini-ans.Such activists are not anti-Semitic. They

hope that the nation of Israel will succeedin a peaceful relationship with its neigh-bors. Americans, including many JewishAmericans, find the rhetorical accusation


opm_53-54_Other People's Mail 7/14/16 5:42 PM Page 53

of anti-Semitism false and unhelpful inseeking a peaceful solution.Steve Paul Moen, Seattle, WA

ELIE WIESEL AND THE IRAQ WARTo The Boston Globe, July 7, 2016 Joseph P. Kahn’s obituary of Elie Wiesel

highlights Wiesel’s Holocaust experience,his lifelong work on remembering victimsof atrocities, and his numerous writings onthe moral responsibilities of bearing wit-ness to objectionable acts (“Elie Wiesel,unblinking witness to horror, dies,” PageA1, July 3). However, it has a glaring omis-sion: Wiesel’s part in the mobilization ef-fort for invading Iraq in 2003.One of Wiesel’s various efforts was a

private meeting with President George W.Bush in which he pushed for the war. It’sreally ironic that a Nobel Peace laureatewould go out of his way to engage in beat-ing the drums for a highly questionablemilitary action. It’s equally ironic that a re-port that celebrates the legacy of a publicfigure who devoted much of his life to re-membering victims of genocides would failto remind of Wiesel’s own failing andmoral responsibility in a war effort whosecarnage is far from over.As someone who hails from Iraq, I owe

it to both Iraqi and American victims of theIraq invasion to bear witness to the need-less loss of lives. If I learned somethingfrom Wiesel’s legacy, it’s standing up anddemanding accountability for what we sayand do.Shakir Mustafa, Salem, NH

THE U.S. AND TERROR IN IRAQTo The Seattle Times, July 10, 2016 The recent deadly attack in Baghdad,

claimed by ISIS, killing more than 200 holi-day-goers, is garnering sympathy world-wide [“Mass death in heart of Baghdad,”Page One, July 4].Yet, here in the U.S., the larger context

goes ignored. How many commentatorsare highlighting how today’s violence is alegacy of yesterday’s poor foreign policychoices? There has been no peace in Iraqsince the first American bomb was droppedin 2003.American forces destroyed Iraq’s gov-

ernment and plunged the country intochaos. The first al-Qaeda cell in Iraqi historyformed in response to the occupation, latermerging with forces in Syria to partly formthe terrorist group ISIS.The United States has inflicted monu-

mental suffering on the people of Iraqthrough decades of sanctions, two cata-strophic wars, and more than nine years of

occupation—the effects of which are stillbeing felt, including in the form of brutal at-tacks.Iraqis deserve more than our thoughts

and prayers. They deserve what’s longoverdue: reparations for harm suffered anda human-rights tribunal to prosecute thoseguilty of war crimes, including Westernleaders who waged war under false pre-tenses.Michelle Ryder, Lake Tapps, WA

DRONES AND TERRORISMTo The Dallas Morning News, June 16,2016If we want to curb terrorism in the United

States, we must stop drone attacks inMuslim countries such as Pakistan,Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top

U.S. military commander in Afghanistan;Michael Flynn, former head of the DefenseIntelligence Agency; former national secu-rity czar Richard Clarke; and many re-spected military and civilian leaders havecalled President Barack Obama’s use ofhis favorite military weapon “ill-advised”and “counterproductive.”Every time we drop a drone bomb, we

make terrorists out of ordinary people, whobefore their innocent family members wereeviscerated bore no ill will toward theUnited States. “The resentment created byAmerican use of unmanned strikes,” ac-cording to Stanley McChrystal, “is muchgreater than the average American appre-ciates.”U.S. policy is creating more terrorists

than it is killing.Hadi Jawad, Old East Dallas, TX

KUDOS TO CANADA ON REFUGEESTo The New York Times, July 5, 2016 I read your article about Canadian fami-

lies opening their arms, homes and walletsto Syrian families with tears in my eyes:tears of joy for the expression of pure hu-manity, and tears of sadness that this isn’thappening in our own country. We seem tohave strayed very far from the promise ofEmma Lazarus’s famous words: “Give meyour tired, your poor, your huddled massesyearning to breathe free.”That a presumptive presidential nomi-

nee and all his supporters can think that“making America great again” meansclosing our borders, hearts and minds tothe plight of millions of men, women andchildren is testimony to just how lost wehave become. Kudos to Canada, shameon us.Susan Steinberg, Queens, NY

WAR IN AFGHANISTAN FUELED BYCORRUPTIONTo The Washington Post, July 10, 2016The July 7 editorial “A final commit

ment in Afghanistan” viewed the war inAfghanistan primarily in military terms.The main reason the U.S.-backed Afghangovernment has been losing is the ram-pant corruption that undermines publicsupport for the government and fuels theinsurgency. Since 2001, the United Stateshas spent more than $110 billion on thereconstruction of Afghanistan, which, incurrent dollars, is more than we spent onthe Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe afterWorld War II. This amount does not in-clude the hundreds of billions the UnitedStates spent on the war in Afghanistan it-self.In Kabul, it is hard to see where the

money was spent. That is because somuch of it has left Afghanistan, carriedaway by corrupt government officials tosecret bank accounts in Dubai andSwitzerland. But a lot of the money hasalso ended up in Maryland and Virginia, inthe coffers of U.S. contractors operating inAfghanistan that have made out like ban-dits.The war goes on not only because the

Taliban thinks it is winning, but also be-cause it is a lucrative business for corruptAfghan officials and for almost everyoneelse associated with the effort.William Goodfellow, Washington, DC.

The writer is executive director of the Cen-ter for Internat ional Pol icy and co-coordinator of the Afghanistan StudyGroup. ■


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MUSLIM AMERICAN ACTIVISM

ICNA/MAS Speakers Talk AboutTheir Muslim FaithNearly 26,000 Muslims from across NorthAmerica attended the 41st annual IslamicCircle of North America (ICNA)/MuslimAmerican Society (MAS) Convention heldMay 28-30 at the Baltimore ConventionCenter in Maryland.

ICNA President Naeem Baig said thisyear’s theme, “Qur’an: The Divine Guid-ance,” was chosen to explore the beauty ofthe Muslim holy book and dispel misinter-pretations of the Islamic faith by mainstreammedia and some politicians. “We feel ourduty as Muslim Americans [is] to talk aboutour faith, to talk about our being, to talkabout the book of Allah,” Baig explained.

Muslims discussed the challenges of liv-ing in North America, including Islamopho-bia, discrimination and other daily prob-lems. Attendees spent Memorial Day week-end hearing from knowledgeable speakers,shopping in the incredible bazaar, andmeeting friends. Children played on moonbounces and practiced rock climbing whiletheir parents had their blood pressurechecked or took a free blood test to find outtheir cholesterol levels. Then it was time tomake some hard choices—selecting whatto eat from cuisines originating around theworld! —Delinda C. Hanley

Gaithersburg Holds Interfaith Iftar

The Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) inGaithersburg held its annual Ramadan in-terfaith iftar dinner on June 17, days afterthe June 12 Orlando nightclub shooting byOmar Mateen. As the guests waited for thesun to set, ICM outreach director AhsunDasti introduced Shaheer Saddiq, a sec-ond-grader, who gave an introduction toIslam and explained how Muslims celebratethe holy month of Ramadan. His Lay-tonsville teachers, who attend St. Luke’sLutheran church in Derwood, MD, werethere to cheer him on.

Hannah Shareem, who graduated fromhigh school earlier in the week, described

her life as a “typical American Muslimteenager.” (She was president of herclass, spoke at graduation, belonged to sixhonor societies, the debate club, binge-watches TV, and speaks four languages.)When she decided to cover her hair andwear hijab, Hannah said, she was called aterrorist, discriminated against, judged andbecame an outsider in her own hometownfor a couple of months. Just as she wasfeeling safe again, Donald Trump calledfor a ban on Muslims.

Hannah said she feels like she has toprove and re-prove herself, fighting stereo-types, every time “some lunatic” claimingto represent Muslims kills. “The actions ofa few deranged people should not be put

on students,” Hannah stated. Imam Rizwan Jaka, a board member of

both ADAMS (All Dulles Area Muslim So-ciety in Sterling, VA) and the InterfaithConference of Metropolitan Washington(IFC), gave a convincing talk on buildingpartnerships with faith-based communi-ties. First, he noted that the U.S. was builtnot only by those professing Judeo-Chris-tian values but also on the backs of en-slaved African Americans, 30 percent ofwhom were Muslim.

Muslim Americans love and protect theircountry, and several thousand have losttheir lives serving their nation. “We’re all inthis together,” he reminded his audience ofMuslims, Christians and Jews. The day


People were invited to take a virtual tour of a Syrian refugee camp at the convention beforedeciding to give a “Helping Hand for Relief and Development.”

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Imam Rizwan Jaka and his family—all of them involved in scouting programs—after the in-terfaith iftar.

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after the Orlando shooting, his groupLoudoun Interfaith Bridges, founded inSterling, VA in 2006, held a vigil to grievetogether. Every month Bridges, which nowincludes 20 diverse congregations andcommunity organizations, meets to dis-cuss different topics, including healthcare,attend each other’s holiday events, or par-ticipate in a community service project.

Syed also discussed the important workaccomplished by IFC, which is made up of11 historic faith communities and seeks topromote dialogue, understanding and asense of community, and to work cooper-atively for justice throughout the DC re-gion. Many know about IFC’s annual 9/11Unity Walk, but not its social serviceswork, food bank or environmental efforts.IFC members have worked shoulder-to-shoulder on healthcare reform, and foughtpayday lenders, gun violence and anti-shariah laws in Virginia.

People of all faiths share our schools,workplaces, hospitals and roads in Amer-ica, Syed pointed out, and more and moreare also beginning to share their worshipspace. “This isn’t awkward,” he said.We’re putting our faith into action andworking shoulder-to-shoulder to improveour communities, Syed concluded.

—Delinda C. Hanley

Cardin Holds Roundtable WithMuslim Community

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), a seniormember of the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee, joined Maryland Muslims atthe new Diyanet Center in Lanham, MD onJune 20 for a roundtable discussion onhow to foster a better sense of cultural un-derstanding at home and abroad. After atour of the Turkish government-funded, Ot-toman-style Diyanet Center’s mosque, cul-tural center, conference and exhibitionhalls and sporting facilities, Cardin listenedand commented on community concerns.

“Following the tragedy in Orlando andthe seemingly daily doses of inflammatoryrhetoric from some Republican leaders,we need to take the time to build bridgeswith our Muslim brothers and sisters,

rather than placing walls between us,” saidCardin, who also serves as the specialrepresentative on anti-Semitism, racism,and intolerance for the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly. [Astrong proponent of Israeli interests,Cardin broke with his Democratic presi-dent to oppose the Iran nuclear agree-ment.]

Then community members accepted hisinvitation to break through the walls—andshared their concerns. They’re outraged bythe language they’ve heard from candi-dates, including calls for a religious test forpeople who come to America. They wantto end racial profiling, fix the criminal jus-tice system, protect refugees from discrim-ination and keep their communities safefrom terrorism.

One community leader asked why eventhe Democrats in Congress are reluctantto call all perpetrators of mass violence“terrorists,” including Dylann Roof, whoshot African-American worshippers inCharleston. “We need help making sureleaders and media stop equating our faithwith terrorism,” he said. Lead by example,the leader urged. “Radical Islam” is anoxymoron, and words like “Islamic terror-ist, Islamist and jihadist” are hurtful.

A Baltimore Muslim worried that hercommunity is “protecting our butts,” stay-ing inside a bubble and not trying to ad-dress injustice at home or abroad. “Why

are our mosques being surveilled?” askedanother Muslim constituent. Why are wespending millions fighting extremism usingour armed forces instead of investing inmental health and education to preventradicalization?

“We’re feeling like the new Commu-nists,” another Muslim said. There arecalls to reactivate the House Un-AmericanActivities Committee to investigate Mus-lims!

“Our community is feeling vulnerable,”Dr. Zainab Chaudry, CAIR’s Maryland out-reach director, told Cardin. “I’ve neverbeen so horrified as now by some of thestories I’ve heard,” including physical as-saults, bullying by teachers as well as stu-dents, and a Maryland Muslim womanbeing pulled off a Southwest Airlinesplane. Students are reluctant to identify asMuslims and citizens who are makingvaluable contributions to society are feel-ing apologetic for being Muslim, she said.“Please introduce a resolution challengingIslamophobia. That would go a long wayto symbolically support our community.”

As the roundtable concluded and partic-ipants filed out the door, one Muslimasked this reporter why politicians andmedia only visited and asked his commu-nity about their concerns after a terroristattack. “What about asking for our viewson politics, health care, education, civilrights, crime and international affairs atother times?” —Delinda C. Hanley


Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) with Muslim community leaders after roundtable discussion.

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New Book Explores Islamic Exceptionalism

Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brook-ings Institution, launched his new book, Is-lamic Exceptionalism: How The StruggleOver Islam Is Reshaping The World, onJune 9 at Brookings’ headquarters inWashington, DC. In his book, availablefrom AET’s Middle East Books and Morebookstore, Hamid attempts to answerwhether Islam is “exceptional” as it pertainsto its role in politics, and whether a countrycan “forge a reliably liberal political order inwhich Islamic political ideas and move-ments have a central place.”Following his introductory remarks,

Hamid addressed the main arguments ofhis book that have already fomented con-troversy. In effect, Hamid’s argument isthat “Islam is, in fact, exceptional in how itrelates to politics, law and governance.”The focus here is on Islam’s aversion toand rebuffing of secularization. In thissense, Hamid argues, Islam diverges fromother major religions. Hamid said he uses the term “excep-

tionalism” because “it’s as value-neutral asyou can get.” That is, he explained, “ex-ceptionalism doesn’t have to be good orbad. It can be both. It can be one or theother, depending on the context.” Hamid cited two main factors that con-

tribute to Islam’s exceptionalism. The firstcenters on the historical circumstancesunder which Islam was born. In its found-ing moments Islam was quite differentfrom Christianity. According to Hamid,“Jesus…was a dissident against a reign-ing state. The New Testament doesn’thave a lot to say about law or gover-nance.” Since Jesus’ project did not re-volve around state building, it seems logi-cal that the New Testament would have adearth of commentary as it pertains to ef-fective governance. Muhammad, on the other hand, “was not

only a clerical theologian and a prophet, buthe was also a politician. He was a statebuilder.” Therefore, questions of both reli-gious and political legitimacy were explicitly

meant to be ascertained by Muhammad. In Hamid’s view, this has created a

“prophetic model” that seemingly contra-dicts secularists’ and liberals’ agenda ofdepoliticizing and privatizing religion inMuslim-majority countries. “They canmake those arguments,” Hamid said, “butit’s a harder sell. Because, in effect, theyhave to argue against the prophetic model.They have to deal with this fact of historythat Muhammad intertwined both religiousand political functions.”The second factor in Islam’s exception-

alism, Hamid argued, “is the issue ofQur’anic inerrancy.” Unlike the Bible, theQur’an “is God’s actual speech.” Thus, “ifit’s God’s actual speech, that means everyletter and word is directly from God,” withno human intermediary. So, Hamid sug-gested, the application of Qur’anic inter-pretation may not be as nuanced as it is inother monotheistic religions. Hamid then applied his notion of “Islamic

exceptionalism” to the contemporary politi-cal discourse. Ever since the fall of the Ot-toman Caliphate in 1924, he said, “therehas been a struggle to establish a legitimatepolitical order in the Middle East.” Thisstruggle revolves around the legitimizationof Islam in public life and its conspicuous re-lationship to the state. It would be naïve totry to apply Islamic law to our modern soci-ety, Hamid argued, because “Islamic lawwasn’t designed for the modern era. Islamiclaw was designed for the pre-modern era.” Hamid proceeded to address a very

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More than 800 worshippers celebrated the end of Ramadan July 6 in the Burbank IslamicCenter, the fastest growing mosque in Los Angeles County.

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Shadi Hamid discusses his new book, Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over IslamIs Reshaping the World.


basic misconception about mainstream Is-lamist movements like the Muslim Brother-hood. “They [Islamist movements] aren’tharkening back to the seventh century,” heargued. “They are inherently modern andmodernist in the sense that they are aproduct of modernity.” Hamid sees mainstream Islamism as

“the attempt to reconcile pre-modern Is-lamic law with the modern nation state.” Inthe pre-modern era, Islam pervaded all as-pects of life and influenced everything fromgovernance to societal and cultural norms;thus, there was no need for Islamist move-ments to reaffirm the legitimacy of Islam.However, with the dawn of the modern eraand the rise of Western notions of secular-ism, Hamid explained, “for the first timeMuslims, and Islamists in particular, felt aneed, a desire to say we are different. Weare affirming or reaffirming our Islamicidentity.” Because of the subsequent de-bate in many countries about Islam’s de-gree of influence in governance, it becamea politicized, polarizing concept. In Hamid’s opinion, there is a slim

chance that Islamists and non-Islamists—i.e. secularists, liberals, nationalists, etc.—will ever reach “some kind of workable so-lution to the problem of the state.” Contraryto Western nations, where political de-bates revolve around tangible policy impli-cations like tax rates and healthcare re-form, political discourse in the Middle Eastis divided across convoluted notions of“the meaning, and nature, and purpose ofthe nation state.” These intangible notionsare anathema to logical, lucid debate,Hamid asserted, and consequently con-tribute to the schism between Islamistsand non-Islamists—which ultimately leadsto violence between the opposing groups. As for how to move forward, Hamid be-

lieves that “people will continue to hateeach other for the foreseeable future in theMiddle East, for legitimate reasons, for un-derstandable reasons.” The hope, though,is that any political antagonism betweenIslamists and non-Islamists can be chan-neled through a conduit of non-violent po-litical action.

Hamid concluded by recommendingthat the West “come to terms with the factthat Islam is going to continue to play aprominent, even central, role in public lifein much of the Middle East and beyond.”

—Anthony Hokayem

ARAB AMERICAN ACTIVISM

Racial and Religious Profiling atU.S. Airports

The Arab American Institute (AAI) on June28 convened a panel of lawyers and civilrights advocates to discuss the discrimina-tion many Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs and otherminorities experience while attempting touse this country’s air transportation system.The event, attended by numerous congres-sional staff, took place at the RayburnHouse Office Building on Capitol Hill. Arjun Singh of the Sikh Coalition began

by noting that the Transportation SecurityAdministration (TSA) and Customs andBorder Protection (CBP) agencies arelegally permitted to profile based on race,faith and national origin. This, he pointedout, is because the two agencies—whichfall under the purview of the Department ofHomeland Security—are exempted from aDecember 2014 Justice Department direc-tive that prohibits federal law enforcementofficials from engaging in profiling. Federal law also permits these agencies

to profile passengers based on their be-havior. Walking too fast or too slow, makingtoo much or too little eye contact, speaking

poor English, and wearing loose clothingare among the behaviors the TSA deemsas suspicious, Singh noted. The technology the TSA uses at security

checkpoints also indirectly targets minori-ties, Singh said, noting that, according tothe TSA, the new body scanners used atmost airports cannot see through five lay-ers of cloth. This means that Sikh menwearing turbans and Muslim women don-ning hijabs often are pulled aside andforced to undergo secondary screening. “Itcreates the impression of second-class cit-izenship,” he explained, “and it stigmatizesus.” Singh’s organization and other groups

have called on the TSA to investigate if itsscreening practices disproportionately im-pact Sikhs, Muslims and other minorities.The TSA, however, has declined to carryout such an audit, he said. Brenda Abdelall of Muslim Advocates

noted that even after they clear security,Muslims are often the victims of discrimina-tion. Indeed, in just the past year, Muslimshave been removed from flights for speak-ing Arabic, “staring back” at a flight atten-dant, attempting to switch seats, and watch-ing the news on a phone. “This has beenhappening with a disturbing level of fre-quency,” Abdelall stated.In order to prevent future incidents of pro-

filing onboard aircraft, Muslim Advocateshas urged the Department of Transporta-tion (DOT) to take the following steps: in-vestigate and issue detailed public reportson all incidents of profiling, require all airline


Arjun Singh (l) and Brenda Abdelall note the discrimination Arabs and Sikhs face at all stagesof air travel.

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personnel to undergo discrimination train-ing, and require airlines found to have en-gaged in discriminatory behavior to take ap-propriate remedial action.

The DOT’s current method of reportingon discrimination is extremely vague, Ab-delall noted. Each month the department is-sues its Monthly Air Travel Consumer Re-port, which simply states the total numberof discrimination complaints filed. Specificssuch as date, location, and whether some-one was discriminated against based ontheir religion, race, national origin, etc., arenot provided. The same report, however,provides detailed case-by-case summariesof every incident involving a pet. If the DOTcan provide the minutiae of how pets wereinconvenienced, it can do the same for hu-mans, Abdelall argued.

Edward Ayoob, a partner at Barnes &Thornburg LLP and a member of AAI’sboard of governors, highlighted the myriadissues surrounding the federal terroristwatch list. All these years after 9/11, it’s stillnot entirely clear why individuals are addedto the list, he pointed out. What is clear,however, is that Arabs are disproportion-ately represented. Indeed, Dearborn, MI—acity of 96,000 that has the highest percent-age of Arab-American residents in thecountry—has more individuals on the ter-rorist watch list than every city except NewYork City.

It’s also clear that the government cannotconcretely prove that many of the people onthe list actually pose a threat. In 2014, TheIntercept reported that roughly 40 percentof the 680,000 individuals on the watch listhave “no recognized terrorist group affilia-tion,” but are nonetheless still deemed sus-picious by the government.

Given its many faults, Ayoob finds it dis-turbing that the terrorist watch list hasgained an aura of credibility in the midst ofthe ongoing national gun control debate.Under their “No Fly, No Buy” proposal, De-mocrats in Congress are arguing thateveryone on the terrorist watch list shouldbe prohibited from purchasing a gun. TheDemocrats are playing smart politics,Ayoob said, but he fears they are also jeop-

ardizing the civil rights of Arabs and Mus-lims by giving unwarranted credibility to thelist. —Dale Sprusansky

EDUCATION

Senate Proposes Cuts to Fulbright-Hays Funding

Just as Americans need to rebuildbridges burned by recent Middle Eastwars, and ISIS propaganda kindles evenmore anti-U.S. hatred, Congress is con-sidering severe cuts to Fulbright-Haysprograms, including the Center for ArabicStudy Abroad (CASA). The NationalCoalition for History sent its members no-tices in June announcing: “House andSenate Appropriations Committees are inthe process of finalizing fiscal year (FY)2017 Department of Education fundingbills. Severe cuts to Title VI/Fulbright-Hays international education programsare on the table.

“The Labor, HHS and Education billthat recently cleared the Senate Appro-priations Committee would fund Title VI(A&B) Domestic Programs at $65 millionand Fulbright-Hays Overseas Programsat $2.1 million for FY 17. While this re-flects level funding from FY 16 for TitleVI, the Fulbright-Hays program would bereduced by $4.9 million, or a 69 percentcut. Perhaps even more important, theSenate bill, if enacted by Congress,would represent over a six-year period a

$58.63 million cut, or 47 percent reduc-tion, since the FY 2010 high point forTitle VI/Fulbright-Hays.”

This would mean no new competitionsfor Doctoral Dissertation ResearchAbroad (DDRAs), Group Projects Abroad(GPAs) or Seminars Abroad (SA). Fundsfor CASA Fellows’ tuition, stipends andflights are also in jeopardy. The cuts

would devastate the Fulbright-Hays pro-gram.

Americans who are concerned aboutarea studies education and languagetraining in foreign countries for futurediplomats, professors and other expertsessential to national security and eco-nomic competitiveness are urged to con-tact their members of Congress. Tellthem what professors like Prof. Christo-pher Stone, head of the Arabic programat Hunter College of the City Universityof New York, tell their students: “Youcan’t learn Arabic here—you have to goabroad; and you have to hang out withpeople who speak Arabic.”


American Palestinian WomenHold Tea to Introduce LEO

The American Palestinian Women’s Asso-ciation invited guests to learn about theLeonard Education Organization (LEO) at atraditional English tea party in Alexandria,VA on April 17. Deya’ Leonard Dresner—who baked the scones and other delightfulcakes—founded LEO in August 2015.


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Qasid Arabic Institute students on a field trip in Wadi Rum, Jordan.


Dresner secures and manages scholar-ships to American colleges and universitieswhich, she said, are eager for young Pales-tinian men and women from the WestBank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan. Dresnerlocates the scholarships and then shep-herds the development of Palestinian stu-dent scholars from the beginning to the endof their American educational experience.Dresner was inspired by both her Pales-

tinian mother from Nazareth and her fa-ther, Dr. Graham Leonard, a Quaker aca-demic who has devoted his life to the edu-cation of Palestinians. Guests at the tea party were also in-

spired by the stories of three Palestinianstudents who attended the tea. They’relearning a lot, getting involved in their localcommunities and teaching their class-mates about their occupied country. For more information, or to make a do-

nation to this 501(c)(3) charity, visit<www.leonardeducation.org> or mail acheck, payable to Leonard Education Or-ganization, to PO Box 504, Buena Vista,VA 24416. —Delinda C. Hanley

HUMAN RIGHTS

B’Tselem Rejects Israeli White-Washing

B’Tselem, Israel’s highly respected humanrights organization, published a report inMay entitled “The Occupation’s Fig Leaf:Israel’s Military Law Enforcement System

as a Whitewash Mechanism.” Executive di-rector Hagai El-Ad discussed B’Tselem’sdecision to no longer work with the Israelimilitary’s legal system at the New York Cityoffice of Human Rights Watch on June 14. For more than 25 years, B’Tselem has

investigated Israeli human rights abusesagainst Palestinians in the occupied terri-tories. It has collected evidence, inter-viewed victims and published reports. El-Ad explained that, unlike Israelis or Amer-icans, Palestinians cannot simply go to amilitary base or police station to file com-plaints because these are inside settle-ments, which are off-limits to the local pop-ulation. In order to achieve accountabilityand prevent future harm, B’Tselem hasfiled complaints to the military’s law en-

forcement system on their behalf.Statistics in the report covering the

years 2000 to 2015 reveal that of 739complaints B’Tselem has referred to theMilitary Advocate General, only 3 percenthave resulted in indictments—a percent-age exceeded by the number of caseswhere the paperwork has been lost. Theinvestigations, El-Ad reported, very sel-dom include any collection of evidenceand are usually limited to interviews withsoldiers, which are allowed to stand evenwhen their testimonies contradict eachother. The Israeli reports also are charac-terized by “inexplicable legal reasoning”designed to delay the process and avoidcharges. It is not surprising, therefore, thatthe majority of cases are simply closed.Because B’Tselem only pursues caseswhere it finds credible evidence, Ed-Ad ex-plained, the full picture is probably darker. El-Ad acknowledged a sense of bitter-

ness over all the years of wasted efforts,which has led B’Tselem to the painful re-alization that it has served as unwillingmiddlemen or subcontractors for a white-wash program to further the credibility ofthe Israeli military. Therefore, in order to“remove the layer of legitimacy, the guiseof legality,” B’Tselem no longer will referPalestinian complaints to the military lawenforcement system. The report states:“(T)here is no longer any point in pursuingjustice and defending human rights byworking with a system whose real functionis measured by its ability to continue tosuccessfully cover up unlawful acts andprotect perpetrators….The fight for humanrights will be better served by denouncingthis system and exposing it for what it is.”El-Ad assured his audience that B’Tse-

lem has not given up on accountability andjustice and will continue its human rightswork, but will increase its involvement inpublic information, especially at the inter-national level, for both moral and prag-matic reasons. Within Israel, he noted,government propaganda has equatedhuman rights work with treason, and theinternal Israeli argument is not over one ortwo states but whether to maintain the sta-


Deya’ Leonard Dresner describes how LEO finds scholarships for Palestinian students.

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Hagai El-Ad says B’Tselem will continue itshuman rights work without acting as a “figleaf” for Israel’s military law enforcement sys-tem.

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tus quo or intensify the occupation. It istime, he concluded, for a new way of think-ing about how to effect change so that wedon’t “calmly usher in the next half-centuryof occupation.” —Jane Adas

CPT Volunteer David Jones SpeaksIn Des Moines

Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) volun-teer David Jones discussed his work in Is-raeli-occupied Palestine in December 2014before an audience of about 40 at the DesMoines Valley Friends Meeting House onJune 23. “I call my presentation ‘The Burden of

Knowing,’” the Vietnam veteran and bicy-cling enthusiast explained, “because whenI was in Palestine I saw a lot of things,child abuse and all kinds of oppression. Ican’t unsee what I saw and I can’t unfeelwhat I felt, and there is a certain burdenassociated with that. I could come backand do nothing, or I could choose to dosomething. I am not the kind of guy whosits on the sidelines.” Jones, along with fellow CPT volunteer

Michael Himlie, whom he met in Palestine,devoted 40 days to their plan to bicycle100 miles in every U.S. state. They havevisited 40 states. Along the way the twomen spoke to audiences about their expe-riences in Palestine.“Theology and politics I try to avoid as

much as possible,” said Jones, who fo-cused on his experiences as a CPT volun-teer. “I tell people: if you don’t believe whatI’m saying, get on a plane, fly to Tel Aviv,take a shuttle to Hebron, and spend sometime. Go see for yourself.”Jones described a particular workday in

Hebron as “probably the most surreal dayof my life. In the morning we were atcheckpoint 209 being subjected to flash-bang [grenades] and tear gas [while] walk-ing Palestinian children to school. In theafternoon we visited a kindergarten. It waslike an oasis. We were blowing up bal-loons and tracing kids’ hands. One littlegirl, I traced her hands about 20 times.She just kept handing me paper and say-ing ‘again.’ She looked a lot like my daugh-

ter at that age.“These kids are not unlike our children

and grandchildren,” Jones continued.“Children around the world are all thesame whether they’re in Iraq, Afghanistan,Palestine, or America. We spend a lot ofone-on-one time with children. All kidswant to live a peaceful life,” he said.“The American media would have you

believe that these kids’ parents are goingto strap a bomb on them and send themout to kill Jews. That’s just crap,” Jonestold his audience.“The narrative that the media puts forth

in the United States is that this is a conflictbetween Jews and Muslims. But I don’tcall it a conflict anymore, because thatsuggests some level of parity. This is amilitary occupation, plain and simple.Palestinians are kept on a short leash.They’re oppressed, period, and it doesn’tmatter whether they’re Christians or Mus-lims,” he stated.While in Palestine, Jones also visited

the Tent of Nations, the Nassar familyfarm located in the hills south of Bethle-hem. The family has owned the farm forgenerations.“It is surrounded by Israeli settlements,”

Jones recalled. “There is one narrow roadin and out. They collect rainwater in cis-terns for their crops. They are off the grid.These people are Christians, PalestinianChristians. Just a few months beforeMichael and I were there, Israeli settlerscame in and cut down more than 1,500 of

the Nassar family’s olive trees.“Were they violent in their response?”

asked Jones. “No! They simply had peo-ple come from the far reaches of the earthto help plant olive trees. They respondednonviolently. They have used the courtsystem to fight the encroachment on theirproperty.”Jones described his work with CPT and

the subsequent bicycle speaking tour as alearning experience.“It’s about the people,” he noted.Jones was invited to speak in Des

Moines by Catholic Peace Ministry, IowaPeace Network, and American FriendsService Committee. The bicycle tour wassponsored in part by The Honey Founda-tion of Goodyear, AZ. —Michael Gillespie

Women and the Syrian Conflict

The Middle East Institute (MEI) hosted threeSyrian female journalists on June 29 to dis-cuss their work and activism. “Media Ac-tivism Amid Civil War: The Role of SyrianWomen Journalists” featured Rula Asadand Milia Eidmouni, co-founders of the non-profit Syrian Female Journalists’ Network(SFJN), and radio journalist Caroline Ayoub.“Our guests understand profoundly the

critical link between a free and powerfulmedia, and its ability to shape a democra-tic future Syria,” said moderator KateSeelye, senior vice president of MEI.Ayoub’s non-profit organization, Souria

Li (Syria is Mine) Radio, focuses not onlyon evading government censorship to pro-


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CPT volunteer David Jones speaks about his tour in Occupied Palestine at the Des Moines Val-ley Friends Meeting House on June 23.


vide Syrians objective news, but also onbuilding a rich, unified society and provid-ing hope. One of its most popular shows,for instance, is “Fattoush,” a cooking showfeaturing favorite recipes from differentethnicities and cultures, highlighting thebeauty of diversity.“Food is something really important in our

culture. We wanted to preserve this her-itage, and we transformed it into a cookingshow,” Ayoub explained. “Fear is a majorissue now in Syria, but when you knowmore about each other’s background andculture—and we highlight our similarities—it bridges the gaps we’re having today.” However, bridging gaps among different

cultures and ethnicities is not these jour-nalists’ only goal. They are also working tobridge gender gaps and empower women.SFJN, for instance, trains Syrian femalejournalists and empowers their role in themedia through collaboration with men aswell as women.“Sometimes men are the decision-mak-

ers and we [SFJN] work in our own bub-ble,” Asad said. “We have to change ourscope of focus—we’re not working onwomen’s rights, we’re working for genderjustice in Syrian society.”

—Massarah Mikati

Leaders Seek Local and Global Solutions to Refugee Crisis

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP)hosted a June 2 forum to assess the recentWorld Humanitarian Summit (WHS) held in

Istanbul May 23-24, 2016, and to identifyconcrete steps that governments could im-plement going forward. President BarackObama will host a summit on refugees theday after world leaders convene on Sept.19 for the U.N. General Assembly High-Level Summit on Refugees and Migrants. One of the remarkable aspects of the

WHS was its inclusion not only of govern-ments, but non-governmental organiza-tions, private sector companies and localrepresentatives. As pointed out by Ray Of-fenheiser, president of Oxfam America, the“shift to more emphasis on local empower-ment and local capacity building is a bigmind shift for the community, particularlythe big bureaucracies who have not givenit much attention.”Despite the desire to increase the per-

centage of humanitarian funding that goesdirectly to local and national NGOs, such a

shift will take time. “We want to go from 0.2percent to 20 percent,” said Islamic ReliefUSA CEO Anwar Khan. Local NGOs arenot ready to take over—they don’t have thecapacity, Khan said. “We have to invest intheir capacity.” Thomas Staal, acting assistant adminis-

trator of USAID’s Bureau for Democracy,Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance(DCHA), focused on inter-governmental ca-pacity building, using as a model the “NewDeal” for Engagement in Fragile States.“The vast majority of these disasters,whether natural or conflict-related, happenin fragile states, and there is an initiativecalled the New Deal for Engagement inFragile States,” developed in 2011 at theFourth High Level Forum on Aid Effective-ness in Busan, Korea, Staal said. “We havea group of self-identified fragile states whoagree with the international community to aset of standards they will try to meet.” Some of the other speakers focused on

whether the problems with refugee andmigration efforts lie with the host countriesor existing systems of governance for in-ternational migration. Elizabeth Ferris, se-nior adviser to the upcoming UNGA sum-mit and research professor at GeorgetownUniversity’s School of Foreign Service,highlighted Europe’s inability to cope withthe Syrian refugee crisis as an example ofthe inadequacies of the current system. “Amillion people arrived in Europe in the pastyear,” she noted. “This should not be a cri-sis. Europe has 550 million people. If our


(L-r) Caroline Ayoub, Milia Eidmouni and Rula Asad discuss the Syrian Female Journalists’Network.

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(L-r) Thomas Staal, Anwar Khan, Anne Richard and Elizabeth Ferris describe local empow-erment for refugees.

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systems for sharing responsibility andbeing able and prepared to respond to thiskind of influx were in place this should notbe a crisis.” Yet even after the refugees and migrants

have arrived safely, the greater question ishow to improve their quality of life in theirhost countries, a problem addressed byAnne Richard, assistant secretary of theState Department’s Bureau of Population,Refugees and Migration. “These situationscan’t be resolved in the short term, theycan’t be treated like short-term emergen-cies,” she emphasized. “What can we do tohelp people not just survive the initial flight,but then have fuller lives?” One major obstacle to better refugee in-

tegration is the “development-humanitariandivide,” Ferris explained. “There can be ashort-term shock when support is neededto deal with the initial adjustment of receiv-ing so many people.” But, she added,“worldwide refugees and migrants are atremendous economic advantage.” Theproblem is that “it takes a mind shift to seerefugees and displaced people not just asa humanitarian issue but as a developmentissue,” Ferris argued. —Gloria Cheung

Poll Examines Americans’ Attitudes Toward Refugees

The Brookings Institution in Washington,DC released a poll on June 13 revealingAmerican attitudes toward refugees fromthe Middle East. The poll, conducted byUniversity of Maryland professor ShibleyTelhami, found that “a majority [of Ameri-cans] support accepting refugees from theMiddle East.” Of the 1,580 individualspolled, 59 percent supported the idea of ab-sorbing Middle Eastern refugees, with 41percent opposed to the idea.A partisan divide exists on this issue, the

poll found. “Not surprisingly, again, De-mocrats are far more supportive than Re-publicans,” Telhami noted, with 77 percentof Democrats supporting the acceptanceof refugees and 63 percent of Republicansin opposition. The poll also looked at reasons why

Americans oppose the U.S. accepting

more Middle Eastern refugees. It con-cluded that there is a divide between thosewho are worried about terrorism—46 per-cent—and those who are worried aboutthe economic burden of acceptingrefugees—54 percent. Telhami noted thatmore people are worried about the eco-nomic strain of accepting refugees thanabout terrorism. Another major component the poll fo-

cused on was the United States’ moralobligation to accept refugees. The pollspecifically asked respondents their opin-ions on accepting refugees from Libya,Iraq and Syria—49 percent of participantswere willing to absorb refugees fromLibya, 54 percent from Iraq, and 51 per-cent from Syria. Finally, in an open-ended question, the

poll asked participants to state how manyrefugees they believe the U.S. should ac-cept in 2017. Americans said that a total of58,928 refugees ought to be settled withinthe United States, while officially Wash-ington has said it plans to welcome100,000 refugees next year.During the follow-up discussion, Indira

Lakshmanan, a contributor to POLITICOand The Boston Globe, commented onwhat heartened her the most about thepoll. “There was very little support for ex-pelling people once they were alreadyhere,” she said, “and among the things

that people thought were very importantfor refugees was K-12 education.” TheAmerican people are turning their focus to-ward the refugee children and how theywill integrate into the education system,Lakshmanan argued, rather than on thenegative connotation of Muslim refugees. In his closing remarks, Telhami urged

the American public to do more to help al-leviate the refugee problem. “We have aresponsibility, it's an American responsi-bility in part because of our role in that[part of the] world. It's not all our fault, butit's partly our fault. And because we arealso the greatest and richest nation onearth, we have a moral obligation.”

—Meghan Blizinski

WAGING PEACE

Obama Officials Discuss Iran Deal

Two Obama administration officials ap-peared at the Atlantic Council in Washing-ton, DC on June 16 to share their assess-ments of the Iran nuclear agreement andthe broader U.S.-Iran relationship. Their re-marks came one year after Iran and theP5+1 officially agreed to terms on what isofficially known as the Joint ComprehensivePlan of Action (JCPOA). Ben Rhodes, the president’s deputy na-

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munications, described the agreement asa major triumph for diplomacy and nuclearnon-proliferation. Iran’s nuclear programhas been scaled-back, he noted, and itsremaining nuclear facilities are under tight,24/7 surveillance. While the U.S. is satisfied that Iran is

complying with the nuclear deal, Rhodesnoted that the two countries still have avery tenuous relationship. Washington, hesaid, remains deeply concerned aboutIran’s testing of ballistic missiles, supportfor groups such as Hezbollah, and its com-mitment to the Assad regime in Syria.“Iran’s approach to its nuclear programhas changed, but thus far its broader for-eign policy and the nature of its regimehas not,” Rhodes said. It is precisely because Iran remains en-

gaged in activities the U.S. views asdestabilizing that the nuclear deal is sovital, Rhodes emphasized. “Isn’t it betterwhen a government with a ballistic missileprogram that supports terrorism doesn’thave a nuclear weapon?” he asked.Despite the deep nature of the U.S.-Iran

fissure, Rhodes asserted that the JCPOAleaves open the possibility of broader co-operation between the two nations. “En-gagement creates opportunities that wedeny ourselves by insisting upon isola-tion,” he said. “If you keep that door todiplomacy and engagement closed, you’renot going to allow yourself to have the op-portunity to solve the next problem, tomake headway on issues where you dohave serious differences.”Rhodes cited two incidents that oc-

curred this January—the release of fiveAmericans held by Iran and the quick res-olution to Iran’s detainment of 10 Ameri-can sailors who had entered Iranian terri-torial waters—as evidence that the nucleardeal has opened up beneficial channels ofcommunication between the two countries. Rhodes was quick to play down the pos-

sibility of Iran and the U.S. agreeing to arapprochement in the near term, however.While Washington has recently restoredrelations with Myanmar and Cuba, ac-cording to Rhodes these two examples

are distinct from the Iranian case. TheMyanmar opening was fueled by the coun-try’s decision to transition from a military toa civilian government, he said, while theCuban opening was a result of the twocountries agreeing to change the nature oftheir relationship. Iran, on the other hand,more narrowly agreed to change the na-ture of its nuclear program. “The broaderprogress with Iran is more limited thanthese other countries,” Rhodes said. “Asthe supreme leader reminds us, Iran is notchanging its inherent opposition to theUnited States.” Rhodes also used his appearance to

address a controversy that arose in Maywhen The New York Times Magazinepublished an article by David Samuels(who publically campaigned against thenuclear deal) claiming that Rhodes andthe Obama administration intentionallymisled the public about the deal.In the article, Samuels claims the ad-

ministration deceptively spun the 2013election of President Hassan Rouhani asa turning point in nuclear negotiations.Such a suggestion is patently absurd,Rhodes stated. “It’s not hard to fact-checkthe notion that we weren’t getting any-where in nuclear talks [with PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad], and then all of asudden we were [upon Rouhani’s elec-

tion],” he said.Rhodes also strongly objected to the no-

tion that the White House duped think-tankexperts and advocacy organizations intoadvocating for the deal. “The groups weworked with were groups that had advo-cated on this issue for years, so they didnot need to be moved to the position ofsupporting the deal or disseminating spe-cific information,” he said. “It is true, and I am proud of the fact, that

there was very effective messaging and, insome cases, coordination,” Rhodes added.“That was essential given the fact that therewere far more resources and a far more ag-gressive effort to disseminate and coordinateinformation on the other side of the deal.”John E. Smith, acting director of the

Treasury Department’s Office of ForeignAssets Control (OFAC), used his appear-ance to address U.S. sanctions toward Iran.While nuclear-related sanctions were re-

moved in conjunction with the JCPOA,Smith, whose office enforces U.S. sanc-tion regimes, noted that sanctions relatedto Iran’s ballistic missile program, humanrights abuses and regional activities re-main in place. The primary embargo also remains in

place, he said, which means that U.S. in-dividuals and businesses are restrictedfrom engaging in transactions with Iran,


Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s deputy national security adviser for strategic communica-tions, responds to claims he intentionally misled Americans about the Iran nuclear deal.

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except for four specific exceptions:civilian aviation equipment, pistachios,caviar and carpets. And while multina-tional corporations are now free to dobusiness with Iran, they are still notpermitted to send any employees whomay be American citizens to Iran.

While OFAC is still working to makesure all proposed business transac-tions are permissible under U.S. law,Smith said his office is not looking tostand in the way of deals that arewithin the scope of the JCPOA.

“OFAC will not be playing ‘gotcha’for companies that conducted the ap-propriate due diligence, collected thedocumentation, but despite their bestefforts unwittingly found themselvesdealing with an IRGC [Iran’s IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps] frontcompany,” he said. “That’s not the roleand that’s not even the legal standard thatwe have, which is a knowledge standard.”

When OFAC determines a business hasunwittingly dealt with a restricted partner,Smith says his office simply sends a pri-vate warning. Only those deemed to havepurposely violated the law face legalrepercussions, he said.

“Over 95 percent of our enforcement in-vestigations result in what we call a no-ac-tion or a cautionary letter,” Smith noted.“That means we go back to the companyinvolved and we say, ‘OFAC is not takingaction’ or ‘we’re going to caution you to bemore careful in the future.’ That is a privateletter that goes between OFAC and thatcompany, it’s not released publically.”

—Dale Sprusansky

ANERA Holds Benefit Iftar

American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)held a fast-breaking iftar fund-raiser onJune 23 at the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Cen-ter in Washington, DC. ANERA’s president& CEO Bill Corcoran gave a vivid descrip-tion of the organization’s challenges andsuccesses. “This is not your grandmother’sANERA,” he began. “It’s changing, becauseneeds are changing. First and foremostANERA is helping Palestinians, but we

can’t ignore the plight of Syrians inLebanon,” Corcoran said. The average Syr-ian student has lost three to five years ofeducation.

ANERA’s Palestinian staff is findinglocal solutions for local problems. InLebanon, where Palestinians are re-stricted from working in many fields, theyare allowed to work as nurses, so ANERAis helping Palestinians get nurses training.A Palestinian woman received the secondhighest nursing school score this year.

The biggest challenge is trying to recon-struct Gaza, where only 35 percent of thedamage from Israel’s 2014 attack hasbeen repaired. ANERA is helping restorefarms so Palestinians don’t have to buyfood from Israel. Parents are especiallyconcerned about teenagers who have nohope for the future. ANERA is rebuildingsports centers so kids can at least play.Corcoran described these efforts as vitalto “restore the psyche of Gaza.”

Nabil Sharaf, a Palestinian who works atthe National Council on U.S.-Arab Rela-tions, gave a powerful description of thespiritual side of Ramadan. Fasting forMuslims is “like a training camp, an annualretreat,” he said. “We go back to our homebase and break our habits and routines” inorder to feel with the “poor and discarded.”

Instead of fighting about where we’lleach lunch with co-workers, we re-member that some people are fightingfor a meal for their family, Sharaf ex-plained. “We know that we’ll only bethirsty and hungry for 14 hours. Othersare uncertain when their next meal willbe. Gazans have no clean water todrink.”

After breaking the fast with a won-derful meal, Palestinian comedianAmer Zahr entertained the crowd.Looking around, he remarked, “This isDonald Trump’s worst nightmare:Palestinians meeting in an Arab culturalcenter in the nation’s capital. In fact,” hemused, “Palestinians starred in sold-outperformances at the Kennedy Centerand Carnegie Hall. It turns out Pales-tinians can be anywhere...but Pales-

tine!” And that was only the beginning of hisfabulous, sidesplitting performance.


Ramzy Baroud HeadlinesKinderUSA Fund-raiser

“There are many stories to be told about thePalestinian people. Their national narrativethat has been re-written by the Zionists.History is the story of every Palestinian,”Ramzy Baroud told an audience of morethan 200 at KinderUSA’s annual fund-raiserMay 15 at Glendale, CA’s PhoeniciaRestaurant.

Baroud, a Palestinian-American journal-ist who edits the online publication Pales-tine Chronicle, signed his 2010 book, MyFather Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’sUntold Story (available from AET’s MiddleEast Books and More). He is working onanother book on the people’s history ofPalestine.

“I wanted to tell my children, who live inSeattle, who the Palestinians are,” he ex-plained, noting that his father, Mohammed,was born in Beit Daras, Palestine and wasforced to flee to a refugee camp in Gazaduring the Nakba in 1948. There Mo-hammed Baroud raised his family, includ-ing Ramzy, while fighting the Israeli occu-pation.


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Amer Zahr describes the interrogation of a Palestin-ian traveler at the Tel Aviv airport.


Ayham Ahmad, one of Baroud’s sub-jects in his upcoming book, came fromYarmouk Camp in Syria and was a pianistuntil the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria(ISIS) destroyed his piano. Ahmad leftYarmouk and went to Izmir, Turkey, andlater onward to Greece. Baroud entitledAhmad’s story “The Last Earth.”

Next Baroud described another Palestin-ian character he writes about—Ahmad al-Haaj, 70, who wore slippers all the time,earning the nickname Abu Sandal (slippers).

He also talked about Hana Shalabi, ayoung woman who was first arrested bythe Palestinian Authority and then by theIsraelis, who tortured her. Titling her story“Death Note,” Baroud says she went on a47-day hunger strike, ending only uponher release from prison, and her subse-quent deportation to Gaza.

Baroud concluded his talk by recitingMahmoud Darwish’s famous poem, “TheLast Sky”: “The Earth is squeezing us. Iwish we were its wheat. So we could dieand live again.”

KinderUSA, an acronym for Kids inNeed of Development, Education, and Re-lief, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organizationfounded in 2002 by a group of Americanphysicians and humanitarian relief work-ers. It is a leading American Muslim orga-nization focusing on the health and well-being of Palestinian children. Its mission isto improve the lives of Palestinian childrenand other children in crisis through devel-opment and emergency relief. This

fundraiser was part of the largest Ra-madan initiative in the history ofKinderUSA because the needs of the “for-gotten children of Palestine” are greaterthan ever before. —Samir Twair

Women’s Boat to Gaza Sets Sail inSeptember

The latest Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)initiative is the Women's Boat to Gaza(WBG), an all-women mission. The femalecrew, activists—including a Nobel laureate,members of parliament from different coun-tries, and other eminent women from morethan a dozen countries, and journalists cov-ering the voyage—will challenge the Israeliblockade and sail to Gaza in September.Cigdem Topcuoglu, whose husband waskilled by Israel commandos aboard theMavi Marmara in 2010, will be among thoseon board.

Sailors will have the opportunity to hearPalestinian women share their stories andtell Gazans that there are women aroundthe world who support them. The trip’s aimis not only to break the physical barriers ofthe blockade, but also to break the mediasilence and help the voices of Palestinianwomen in Gaza be heard.

The FFC is not affiliated with any gov-ernment or political party. Many membersof the European Parliament in Brusselssupport the flotilla.The coalition will con-tinue to sail until Israel lifts its blockade, theport of Gaza is open, and Palestinians ofGaza have the ability to fish, to import andexport freely, and to lead a normal life with-out daily fear and suffering.

—WBG Steering Committee

Responding to Lebanon’s SyrianRefugee Crisis

On June 24, the Middle East Institute (MEI)and the Foreign Policy Institute of the JohnsHopkins University School of Advanced In-ternational Studies (SAIS) hosted PhilippeLazzarini, U.N. deputy special coordinatorfor Lebanon, for a discussion on “Respond-ing to Lebanon’s Syrian Refugee Crisis.”Randa Slim, a member of both MEI andSAIS, introduced Lazzarini.

Lazzarini began by describing Lebanonas “the last haven in a very troubled Mid-dle East,” noting that the Lebanese peoplehave shown an incredible ability to man-age crises. At the same time, however, hecautioned that Lebanon’s relative stabilityshould not be taken for granted. “Like inany situation, resilience [in the region] iseroding,” he said.

One particularly troubling reality Laz-zarini cited is Lebanon’s extraordinarily po-larized political situation: the Lebanesepeople have had no president in over twoyears now, he observed.

Also worrying is Lebanon’s economicdecline, Lazzarini noted. The national debtis nearing 140 percent of the country’sGDP (the highest in the region), hepointed out, while unemployment is sky-rocketing and the various sectors of theeconomy—agriculture, construction and


Ramzy Baroud speaks at a KinderUSA fundraiser in Seattle.

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tourism—are collapsing. Lebanese ex-ports, primarily to the Gulf, also have de-celerated, he noted, citing the Syrian civilwar as the main factor in the decline.

Along with the country’s struggling econ-omy and government, Lazzarini notedthat Lebanon has welcomed 1.5 millionSyrian refugees—equivalent to one-thirdof the Lebanese population. Although theLebanese people have shown much “hos-pitality,” he said, the country is now facinga very real demographic threat—one thathas kept people in the region “existentiallyanxious.”

The demographic threat in Lebanontoday is not unlike the demographicthreat—and subsequent catastrophe—theLebanese people encountered during theircountry’s 1975-1990 civil war, Lazzarini ar-gued. According to both Lazzarini andSlim, just as Palestinian refugees causedan imbalance in the country’sChristian-Muslim population, theLebanese people fear thatSyria’s primarily Sunni refugeesmight have a similar effect onLebanon’s delicate Sunni-Shi’ibalance.

In Lazzarini’s opinion, the in-ternational community must workto promote a proactive conflict-prevention agenda in Lebanon.The country is still “extraordinar-ily fragile and vulnerable,” hesaid, particularly with regard tothe sectarian conflict in neighbor-

ing Syria. More generally, Lazzarini encouraged

the international community to support awholesome approach to the issues facingLebanon and its people. This, he argued,would be much more helpful than focusingon just one issue or regional strain, suchas the Syrian refugee crisis.

—Gabe Ghostine

Sunrise USA Fund-raiser

June brought dual natural catastrophes—fireand floods—to Americans, and helped themempathize with thousands of Syrians whohave lost their homes, businesses and fam-ilies due to catastrophies wrought by modernwarfare. Sunrise USA and the Syrian Amer-ican Council-Los Angeles (SAC-LA) teamedup on June 11 for an annual fund-raiser atthe Great Wolf Hotel in Garden Grove, CA tohelp Syrian orphans and homeless families.

More than 350 people attended the Ra-madan dinner, under the theme of “Help-Hope,” to benefit Syrian orphans.

The fund-raiser chairman, Atlanta-basedmechanical engineer Shahir Raslan, isoriginally from Homs, Syria, whose resi-dents are known for their sense of humor.So Raslan made the fund-raising eventfun and joyful, and encouraged people todonate more than ever.

Sunrise USA, founded in 2011 by agroup of Syrian-American professionals, isnow considered to be a leading U.S. char-ity focused on providing humanitarian as-sistance to Syrians both inside Syria andin neighboring countries. —Samir Twair

Counter-terrorism and Saudi Arabia

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations(NCUSAR) hosted a June 9 event in Wash-ington, DC focusing on the counter-terrorismefforts of Saudi Arabia and the UnitedStates. The event took place at the RayburnHouse Office Building on Capitol Hill andconcentrated on the ongoing terrorismthreats facing Saudi Arabia, as well as itsrole in the establishment of the United Na-tions Counter-Terrorism Center (UNCCT) inNew York.

It is difficult to create a successful andsustainable counter-terrorism strategy thatcan be easily implemented during conflicts,stated NCUSAR CEO and president Dr.John Duke Anthony in his introductory re-marks. “The strategy of this committee[UNCCT] is to try to respect and honor

human rights and uphold interna-tional law—eradicate that which isconducive to terrorism,” he ex-plained.

The UNCCT was created in2001 and comprises the 15 Secu-rity Council members. Its missionis to promote internationalcounter-terrorism through the im-plementation of the United Na-tions Global Counter-TerrorismStrategy.

Nawaf Althari, the counterter-rorism adviser at Saudi Arabia’spermanent mission to the United


U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Philippe Lazzarini, (l) and MEI’s Randa Slimnote the multiple challenges confronting Lebanon.

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Sunrise USA fund-raisers, computer science school teacher Has-san Twiet (l) and Shahir Raslan.

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Nations, described his country’s efforts tocombat terrorism. “The Kingdom of SaudiArabia has been an integral part of this en-deavor for over two decades,” he noted,“spearheading initiatives that have createdenduring measures to overcome radical-ized insurgents.” Most Westerners do not understand the

important role Saudi Arabia plays incounter-terrorism, Althari added. “Washing-ton insiders remain in the dark on the rolethat Saudi Arabia plays in the global fightagainst terror,” he said. Although Althari stressed the importance

of his own country’s work, he also sug-gested that countering terror is an interna-tional effort. “The war on terror is not anAmerican crusade, it is not a Middle East-ern problem—it a global conflict of epic pro-portions,” he stated.Althari went on to outline four ways the

global community can focus their efforts todeal with terrorism: “a) address the condi-tions conducive to the spread of terrorism,b) prevent and combat terrorism, c) buildstates’ capacity to prevent and combat ter-rorism, and d) ensure respect for humanrights and the rule of law in countering ter-rorism.” —Meghan Blizinski

Understanding Civilian Harm inAfghanistan

The United States Institute of Peace hosteda June 8 event in Washington, DC to dis-

cuss an Open Society Foundations (OSF)report on civilian casualties in Afghanistantitled, “The Strategic Costs of CivilianHarm.” The event’s objective was to demon-

strate that reflecting and improving on mil-itary strategy does not have to wait untilthe end of current military missions, espe-cially when there is growing popular senti-ment that civilian harm is actually under-mining the Afghanistan mission. “At thestrategic level, too often we forget topause and reflect, to digest and learn,”said Michèle Flournoy, CEO of the Centerfor a New American Security and formerunder secretary of defense for policy.

The report focused in particular on find-ings from 2008 to 2012—which, accordingto OSF advocacy director Rachel Reid,was a “period of extremely positivelessons in many ways. The U.S. demon-strated it could put in place much im-proved civilian protection for a relativelylow cost,” through the 2009 strategyrewrite by Gen. David Petraeus. Thoseyears featured a series of reforms, such asthe implementation of civilian casualtytracking cells, tactical directives to limit andcontrol military attacks in civilian zones,and shifting prioritization by military lead-ers such as Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Asa result, there was a dramatic fall in civil-ian fatalities attributed to the U.S. from 39percent in 2008 to 9 percent in 2012. The report makes three main recom-

mendations: a uniform policy to protectcivilians, systems to collect and analyzedata on civilian harm, called “civilian pro-tection cells,” and, lastly, that “from the be-ginning, protection of civilians is built intopartner training and support strategies,” asadvocated by OSF senior program officerChris Rogers. The focus of these recommendations on

data, analytics and communication is to ul-timately deepen U.S. understanding of thestrategic impact of its forces in Afghanistan,and increase its analytical capability. This isdue to the key takeaway that “civilian harm


Nawaf Althari discusses Saudi Arabia's efforts at combatting terrorism.

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(L-r) Michèle Flournoy, Christopher Kolenda, Rachel Reid and Chris Rogers.

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is broader than the issue of just civilian ca-sualties,” said Christopher Kolenda, whoserved four tours in Afghanistan and is nowa senior military fellow at King’s College,London and president of Kolenda StrategicLeadership. Civilian harm, he argued, in-cludes “the adverse effects of military oper-ations on community and family life.”

-—Gloria Cheung

Reflecting on “Operation ProvideComfort”

The Middle East Institute (MEI) hosted aconference at the National Press Club inWashington, DC on June 6 to commemo-rate the 25th anniversary of Operation Pro-vide Comfort. OPC was the U.S.-led effortto provide protection and assistance to mil-lions of Iraqi Kurds fleeing Saddam Hus-sain’s reprisals in the wake of the 1991 GulfWar. The conference’s two panels focusedon OPC and how lessons learned fromOPC can be applied to ongoing conflicts. Keynote speaker Bayan Sami Abdul

Rahman, the Kurdistan Regional Govern-ment (KRG) representative to the U.S.,opened the conference recounting herpersonal experiences with OPC. “Opera-tion Provide Comfort saved thousands oflives and played a big part in our nationalhistory,” she said. Falah Mustafa Bakir,head of the KRG’s Department of ForeignRelations, read a statement from KRGPresident Masoud Barzani. U.N. Security Council Resolution 688 was

adopted on April 5, 1991 after memberstates expressed concern about the repres-sion of the Iraqi people, mainly Iraqi Kurds.The resolution called on the Iraqi govern-ment to stop the repression and upholdhuman rights for all people living in Iraq. Theresolution also called on the government toallow humanitarian aid and assistance to re-pressed Iraqi citizens. Based on this resolu-tion, France, the United States and theUnited Kingdom established a no-fly zoneover Iraq in order to ensure the continuingefforts of humanitarian aid. “It was throughthat resolution that we were able to begin toform a new life here in the Kurdistan region,”declared Barzani in his statement.

Bakir ended his keynote speech with afinal statement that summed up the out-come and overall success of OPC. “OPCdid much more than just provide comfort,”he said. “It provided hope, opened newpossibilities for freedom, democracy, andan overall safe and brighter future for thepeople of Kurdistan.”The first panel, moderated by Washing-

ton Post associate editor Karen De Young,focused on the military operations that tookplace in northern Iraq during OPC. “[OPC]is widely viewed as a success, howeverthere were numerous problems and somelessons that were hopefully learned,” DeY-oung explained. “But it saved hundreds oflives, reduced ethnic pressure on Turkey,and prevented Saddam Hussain from hav-ing a free hand.” OPC was a crucial military operation

that allowed the Kurdish people to createtheir own governing system and infra-structure. Panelist Khaled Salih, a formersenior adviser to the KRG prime minister,described the Kurdish government transi-tion: “The Kurds went back to the commu-nity they were originating from, and thatput pressure on the Kurdish leadership,”he noted. “It allowed the Kurdish leader-ship to set up its own transition into a civiland political system.”The second panel, titled “Lessons

Learned for Today’s Crises,” concentratedon the success and end result of OPC.

The panelists discussed the ways in whichOPC could be applied to the ongoingcrises in the MENA region, specifically inIraq and Syria. “The conflict in Syria and Iraq is more

complex than with Saddam—today ISIShas changed the game,” explainedSarhang Hamasaeed, MENA program of-ficer for the U.S. Institute of Peace. “En-forcing a line against ISIS is extremely dif-ficult.” In Syria today, there are many dif-ferent “political actors,” making it difficult todistinguish between each group or workwith them. —Meghan Blizinski

Authoritarian Regimes and the Media

The Center for International Private Enter-prise (CIPE) held a panel discussion at theNational Press Club in Washington, DC onJune 8 entitled “The State of JournalismGlobally: How Authoritarian Regimes Con-trol Information.” CIPE executive director Andrew Wilson

set the stage for the discussion by outlin-ing the importance of a free and indepen-dent media. “If the press is limited in itsability to reach out and show a variety ofviewpoints, democracy suffers,” he said.Deborah Amos, Middle East correspon-

dent for NPR News, said that authoritarianregimes in the Arab world have gotten bet-ter at controlling information, despite theadvancement of technology and social


(L-r) Ambassador (ret.) James Jeffrey of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, SarhangHamasaeed with the U.S. Institute of Peace, MEI’s Paul Salem, and Denise Natali and Col.Richard H.M. Outzen with the National Defense University.

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media. The regimes have “more tools” andare “more subtle” in how they exercisetheir power, she noted. “They want legiti-macy, and to be a crusher of the freepress is not a role they want to be in,” shesaid. “So, they use the law, they use sub-tle pressure.” According to Amos, journalists in au-

thoritarian regimes “know what they’resupposed to do...toe the line.” In Jordan,for instance, she said it’s not uncommonfor journalists to receive calls from thepalace when the king doesn’t like what isbeing reported.Amos pointed out, however, that each

Arab country has its own unique media en-vironment. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, Twitter is

extremely popular, she noted. “Saudimedia is authoritarian…but it’s stodgy, andit’s old, and it’s old-fashioned, and it’stribal,” Amos said. Therefore, she ex-plained, few Saudis under the age of 30watch state-controlled news channels; in-stead, they rely on social media platformssuch as Twitter.News in Iraq is written through a sectar-

ian lens, Amos said. As a result, newschannels tend to have a sectarian (Sunni,Shi’i, Kurdish, etc.) bent. “The good newsfor them is they watch across the spec-trum. The bad news is the spectrum is

there,” she said. “If you need to know howto get your kid to school in the morning,”Amos added, “you can’t depend on yoursectarian media to tell you everything, andthey know that.” The Iraqi media is not entirely unlike the

highly partisan American media, whichalso distributes inflammatory and contra-dictory information, noted Jim Sciutto,CNN’s chief national security correspon-dent. “It’s remarkable that as you have thisdiversification of news outlets, you haveless informed people to some degree,” hesaid. —Gabe Ghostine

Nader Conference Encourages ProgressiveCivic Mobilization

Activists and communitymembers congregated atConstitution Hall in Washing-ton, DC from May 23 to May26 for a conference orga-nized by former presidentialcandidate Ralph Nader. The“Breaking through Power”conference was a 50th an-niversary celebration of thepublication of Nader’s bookon vehicle safety, Unsafe atany Speed.“We want to expand the

sense of… ‘freedom is participation andpower,’” Nader explained. “These fourdays are called breaking through power—not wealth, not income, not inequality ofvarious sorts. Because when you breakthrough power and redistribute it as befitsa functioning democracy, you breakthrough these inequalities of wealth, in-come and race.”The conference hosted 17 citizen advo-

cacy groups and more than 80 speakerswho addressed ways to fortify the effec-tiveness of citizens and civic groups inbreaking through corporate power and se-curing democratic solutions. Speakers in-cluded former Congressman DennisKucinich (D-OH), public advocate MarkGreen and media personality Phil Don-ahue.An overarching theme the speakers

stressed was the role and responsibility ofthe media in regulating the government,affecting public opinion on war and en-forcing a democratic society.“The many serious people in this coun-

try who are concerned about our presentand future, and our impact on the world,have created the public airways—whichthe people own as abandoned property,”Nader stated. “The television and radio in-dustries are the tenants…we’re the land-lord…they control valuable public property,and we’ve abandoned it.”


(L-r) Gina Chon, Washington columnist for BreakingViews.com, NPR’s Deborah Amos andCNN’s Jim Sciutto discuss the role of media in authoritarian states.

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Ralph Nader unveils his new organization,“Voices.”

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Dismantling Mainstream Media

The second day of the conference focusedon breaking through the media, and fea-tured the launch of Nader’s new organiza-tion, “Voices”—a full-spectrum advocacygroup to champion an open and democra-tic communication commons. Speakers in-cluding Mark Green, Jim Hightower, PhyllisBennis and Chris Hedges argued that inorder to reform the communications land-scape of democracy, the American peoplemust first understand that media is biased.An issue the conference addressed was

that of corporations controlling mainstreammedia. According to public interest lawyerGreen, large companies control what mostpeople see in the media and are using mediaoutlets to further push their own agenda.“Corporate media is an instrument of

corporate power,” Green said. “Media isnot a mirror of reality. It is a crisis affectingour democracy and economy.”Other speakers advocated that, upon

breaking through corporate mainstreammedia, the establishment of an indepen-dent media is a vital component of a legit-imate democracy.According to Hightower, a radio com-

mentator and former Texas agriculturecommissioner, media should be able toconnect people with each other to shareideas about the democratic systems inAmerica. He described the media as dis-tant from the public and not relatable.“Media needs to connect more and co-

operate more closely with people,” hesaid. “We need to create our own media.The presentation needs fewer statisticsand more storytelling.”Hightower said he believes that this

strategy would allow for a more open flowof discourse and communication betweenpeople, and foster a stronger sense of ademocratic community.A second point articulated by the speak-

ers was the media’s false portrayal of thenarrative of war. Media and warfare havea strong relationship, argued Bennis, di-rector of the New Internationalism Projectat the Institute for Policy Studies. She cited

as an example, the Libyan cri-sis in 2011, when the Obamaadministration was debatingwhether to engage in militaryaction in the region.“The media was there

cheerleading for war, due to aperceived imminent geno-cide,” Bennis recalled. In heropinion, however, the crisiswas not imminent, and themedia’s incorrect portrayal ofurgency was never revisited.Bennis stressed that the

media should express a narra-tive focused more on the peo-ple experiencing the impact ofU.S. foreign policy and militaryactions.“We need a media that doesn’t embed

with U.S. troops, but embeds with peo-ple…on the ground who are the subjectsof U.S. policies,” she said.In addition to the media’s misleading pri-

oritization of narratives, renowned journal-ist Hedges emphasized its frequent and bi-ased glorification of U.S. wars.“When your own nation is not directly in-

volved in the war, it is possible to presenta narrative that begins to describe the re-ality of war,” he noted. “But as soon asyour own nation undertakes war, the pressimmediately signs on for the crusade.”Pointing to media coverage of the Viet-

nam War, Hedges noted that in the war’sfirst few years the media pushed narra-tives that embodied courage and generos-ity. Yet once the public began shifting itsperception and opinion of the war, themedia’s coverage shifted as well.“The idea that the press is somehow a

leader or a truth teller before the public isable to figure out the truth is incorrect,”Hedges concluded.

America and Its Penchant for War

Discussion on the third day revolvedaround war and America’s proclivity for war.Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, professor of gov-ernment and public policy at the College ofWilliam and Mary and former chief of staff

to Secretary of State Colin Powell (2002-2005), opened with an analysis of the de-velopment of war in America. Wilkerson sees the beginnings of Wash-

ington’s progression of violations of theConstitution in Harry Truman’s presidencyin 1950, when Truman introduced U.S. mil-itary forces into the conflict between Northand South Korea without notifying Con-gress. The violations continued throughouthis presidency, Wilkerson said, adding thatTruman’s socialist appeals for spending onuniversal healthcare were contradicted byincreases in defense spending to build ar-maments for the Cold War.These violations eventually were ce-

mented by the 1973 War Powers Act,passed by the Congress during the presi-dency of Richard Nixon. “The Congresswas absolutely adamant it was going toabandon formally and statutorily its warpower in the Constitution,” Wilkerson said.This relationship is worsened by the in-

clinations of U.S. presidents. Wilkersonposited that the president, encumbered bythe bureaucracy and subservient to otherforces and officials, “has one way todemonstrate that he is the King of theHill… and that is war.”Wilkerson calls this phenomenon the

“Presidential Predilection for Power,”which leads to military build-ups even intimes of relative peace, and defines Amer-


Paul Pillar says the U.S. continues to push a myth of might.

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ica’s penchant for war.According to Paul Pillar, a senior fellow

at the Brookings Institution, despite the in-creasing duration and poor results ofAmerica’s wars, the U.S. continues topush a myth of military success that de-fines modern discourse on the use of mili-tary force. “American successes have been so ob-

vious, so longstanding and so deeply em-bedded in American culture and law thatthey still shape current discourse on theuse of military force,” Pillar said. “Whatshould have been sobering lessons fromthe more recent and less successful mili-tary interventions tends to get swept asidein favor of the historically based optimismabout the use of force.”This optimism reinforces the rhetorical

asymmetry between positive-soundingcalls for U.S. intervention to solve conflicts,and negative-sounding calls for cautionand diplomacy.“The public and political appetite for ac-

tion usually means specifically visible,forceful action, and that generally means,in most minds, military responses,” Pillarargued. “They have greater appeal thanless-visible policy tools like behind-the-scenes diplomacy.”As a result of American politics and

leaders’ need to win the popular vote,leadership is equated with toughness,which is correlated with the use of militaryforce.This tendency continues to have a

global and domestic impact today, as mil-itary force is commonly viewed as the onlyway to defeat ISIS. Pillar disagrees withthis presumption, arguing that interventionwill only fuel ISIS’ rhetoric and propa-ganda, and foster resentment that aids re-cruitment for terrorist groups.“The United States appears destined,

for reasons related to what makes it ex-ceptional, to continue using military forcebeyond what serves its interest,” Pillarconcluded. “It is on us…to take greater in-sistence on opening up the deliberativeprocess.” —Massarah Mikati,

Gloria Cheung and Meghan Blizinski

MUSIC & ARTS

Nabil al-Raee of Jenin FreedomTheatre on “The Siege”

If all had gone according to plan, TheJenin Freedom Theatre’s production of“The Siege” would have been staged atNew York’s Public Theater this pastspring. Of course, for people living undera punitive occupation where every form ofresistance is put down with violence, liferarely goes according to plan. Definitelynot planned was a masked gunman’s as-sassination of the Freedom Theatre’s co-founder Juliano Mer Khamis just outsidethe theater. Five years later, the murder isstill “under investigation.” Nor was the middle-of-the-night arrest

and detention by Israeli soldiers in June2012 of Nabil al-Raee, Mer Khamis’ suc-cessor as artistic director. And he wasone of six theater personnel arrestedthat year alone. The theater, situated inthe Jenin Refugee Camp, also has beenfirebombed numerous times by personsunknown.In the face of these non-theatrical

challenges, this year the Jenin FreedomTheatre celebrated its 10th anniversary.In that decade, it has produced 24 plays,performed all over the West Bank, pub-lished 3 photography books, establisheda 3-year theater training program, and

toured 15 countries, including the UnitedStates, where the company staged anadaptation of Samuel Beckett’s “Waitingfor Godot” in 2011 and Athol Fugard’s“The Island” in 2013. The Freedom Theatre’s biggest project

thus far is “The Siege.” Al-Raee, passingthrough New York on his way home afterparticipating on a panel appropriately en-titled “Prevented Performances” at theTheater Communication Group’s (TCG)national conference in Washington, DC,spoke about the genesis of “The Siege,”calling it “our first complete project start-ing from zero.” The play is based on Israel’s 39-day

siege of the Church of the Nativity inBethlehem during its 2002 invasion ofthe West Bank. Resistance fighters, in-cluding from Fatah, Hamas, IslamicJihad, and members of the PalestinianSecurity Forces, along with some 300civilians, monks and nuns, sought sanc-tuary in one of the most venerated sitesin Christendom. They were withoutwater, electricity or food and surroundedby Israeli tanks and troops. The siegeended when the 39 surviving fighters(eight were killed by Israeli sharpshoot-ers in the course of the siege) agreed toself-exile. They were not allowed to saygood-bye to their families, nor have theybeen allowed to return. Al-Raee and hiscolleagues spent a year and a half of re-search that included interviewing the de-portees—the 26 sent to Gaza—bySkype, and in-person conversations withthe 13 exiled to five countries in Europe. Al-Raee drew on the Palestinian fight-

ers’ memories and testimonies to createa script from their point of view. This isespecially important for Western audi-ences, whose politicians and media con-flate Palestinian resistance with terror-ism, and never ask what they are resist-ing and why. Audiences responded enthusiastically

to the play when the Freedom Theatretoured Great Britain in 2015. A review inthe May 21, 2015 Guardian deemed it a“compelling theatrical experience with a


Nabil al-Raee, artistic director of the JeninFreedom Theatre, discusses “The Siege.”

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rough and ready energy, and, in the veryact of its telling, speaks for the voicelessand forgotten.” This, Al-Raee said, is the goal of art: to

connect people rather than dividing themas a way of effecting change. Artists, hecontinued, should “not exclude ourselvesas though we live on a different planet.We must make change with the people.” Al-Raee was encouraged by the

amount of interest in the Freedom The-atre and in “The Siege” from fellow ac-tors and directors he met at the TCGconference, which left him feeling that“artists can make it happen if politicianscannot.” Friends of the Jenin FreedomTheatre are doing their utmost to bring“The Siege” to the U.S. in the fall of2017. —Jane Adas

“Picture Kindness”

The XOL art gallery in Baltimore, MD gen-erously hosted an open house on Saturday,June 25 on behalf of the refugees inLebanon. Salameh Nematt, founder and cu-rator of the gallery located in the Mount Ver-non cultural and historic district, wanted “todo something to raise funds and support thecause.” All funds will directly benefit the Na-tional Institution of Social Care and Voca-tional Training in Lebanon (NISCVT—alsoknown as Beit Atfal Assamoud).Although the crowd of Palestinians,

Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis and, of course,Americans was small, the donations weregenerous. We enjoyed wine, cheese andsweets while taking a tour of the gallery.The current exhibition features an artistfrom Ramallah. XOL provides young Mid-dle Eastern artists an outlet to showcasetheir work in a lovely and unique space.Nematt offered three paintings for a

“Refugee Benefit Auction.” Although nonesold during the event, he will continue tokeep them up for bidding, with 50 percentof their sale to benefit NISCVT.Donations are earmarked for NISCVT’s

sponsorship program. Several peoplesponsored a child in kindergarten for $150a year. This program provides some nor-malcy for children growing up in very diffi-cult conditions in camps. Others spon-sored an elderly woman or man under aprogram called “Our Elderly…Our Dignity,”

which assists the older generation by pro-viding activities and support. This spon-sorship is $360 a year. For more informa-tion about the ongoing sponsorship pro-grams, which always need funds, pleasevisit <www.socialcare.org>. The XOL Gallery, located at 830 Park

Ave., is housed in a renovated formerwarehouse built in 1860. XOL is short forthe Latin “Ex Oriente Lux,” an ancientRoman slogan meaning “Light ComesFrom the East”—a recognition that civi-

lization originated in the Middle East. TheXOL website, <www.xolgallery.com>, dis-plays a list of artists, their artist statementsand images of their works, plus a sched-ule of upcoming exhibitions and events.For more information e-mail [email protected] or call (443) 563-2481.

—Ellen Siegel

Paris Photo Exhibit Gives Voice toRefugees

“I Am With Them,” a heart-wrenchingphoto exhibition of refugees by photojour-nalist Anne A.R., was on display at the In-stitut du Monde Arabe in Paris May 10through July 3, 2016. Presenting the harrowing stories of chil-

dren, women and men who fled to Greecefrom war-torn Syria and Iraq, the photojour-nalist gives voice to their tragic plight. In thegallery, statements from her interviewshang next to oversized 2-ft. x 4-ft. photos ofrefugees. “Daddy is dead. He died in thewar,” said 7-year-old Hamzi from Syria inhis interview statement. “I want to learn howto read and become a doctor.”Following the refugees from their arrival in

small boats on the Aegean Sea coast ofLesvos, to Germany, where they hoped tobuild new lives, A.R. shares their stories—their fears, courage and hope for the future—in order to restore their dignity and humanity. In January, the exhibition was well-re-

ceived at the headquarters of the Organi-zation for Economic Cooperation and De-velopment (OECD) in Paris.

—Elaine Pasquini

“Scent and the City” Delights Istanbul Visitors

A unique exhibit on the sense of smell, or-ganized by Koç University Research Cen-ter for Anatolian Civilizations, was on dis-play from April through June at its IstiklalAvenue gallery in central Istanbul.Presenting the smellscapes of Istanbul

and Anatolia over four millennia of civiliza-tions, “Scent and the City” explored the aro-mas that permeate our lives and connect uswith our deepest memories.Throughout history scents were used in


XOL art gallery holds a benefit for Beit Atfal Assamoud.

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prayers, funerary and healing rituals.Roman and Byzantine nobles used plantsto perfume their bodies, homes and publicspaces. In the 11th century Empress Zoecreated a fragrance workshop in her bed-room. Constantinople was a convergencepoint for exotic herbs and spices comingfrom the East. Blending scents—musk,

rosewater, cam-phor, exotic woodsand resins—was aregular activity inthe Ottoman era. Resembling a

chemistry labora-tory, one largegallery featuredhands-on atomiz-ers dispensingscents at the touchof a button. Amongthe 50 offeringsfrom Turkey’s richolfactory historywere frankincense,saffron, rose, lindentrees, burning coaland cannabis—which seemed tobe the most popu-lar, as it was emptyat the time of ourvisit. Freshlyground coffee forthe scent bar was

provided by Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi,the oldest and one of the most popular cof-fee venders in Istanbul.Lauren Nicole Davis, Ph.D. candidate

and teaching assistant at Koç University’sDepartment of Archaeology and History,curated the exhibition, which ranged fromthe Hittite civilization through the Byzantine

and Ottoman eras up to the present. Alarge map of modern Istanbul hung at theexhibition entrance featuring magnets withsome 60 different smells written on them,which Davis derived from personal inter-views and surveys as a part of her doctoralresearch. Visitors were encouraged to writescents not already mentioned on blankmagnets to add to the map. The smellsmentioned of today’s Istanbul—many ofwhich also existed centuries ago—includedcoffee, rotten eggs, spices, fish, beer,sweat, vomit, urine, street cleaning and carexhaust. –Elaine Pasquini

Coffeehouses in the Ottoman Era

In Istanbul this summer selected items fromthe extensive Suna and Inan Kiraç Foun-dation’s Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Col-lection were the centerpiece of the PeraMuseum’s exhibition “Coffee Break.” Thepopular show explored the routines, ritualsand relationships surrounding the Kahve-hane (coffeehouse), which emerged as apopular hangout in Istanbul in the 16th cen-tury as an alternative to the traditional gath-ering spots of markets and mosques.News, politics and family events were top-ics debated in the coffeehouses—the socialmedia of its time.Second only to Iznik in ceramics pro-

duction in the Ottoman era, Kütahya wasrenowned for producing faience (fine tin-glazed pottery) for mosques, churchesand official buildings throughout the re-gion. The town, located in western Turkey,continued to produce exquisite tiles andother items in the 18th and 19th centuries,from which time many of the pieces in thecollection date. Since acquiring Kütahyaceramics in the 1980s, the Kiraçs’ collec-tion has grown into one of the most out-standing of its kind, consisting of morethan 1,000 objects which will be displayedin future exhibits.Cups, saucers, sugar bowls and pitch-

ers with colorful images of people, animalsand floral designs were displayed next tolarge informational panels on the history,importance and business of coffeethrough out the Ottoman Empire. A signed


Anne A.R.’s moving photos from her exhibit in France.

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“The scent bar in the “Scent and the City” exhibit at Koç University Research Center for Anato-lian Civilizations Gallery in Istanbul.

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handwritten agreement from 1766, whencup production flourished in Kütahya—rec-ognized as the first collective agreement inthe Ottoman era—was also on view, alongwith paintings and old photographs depict-ing the preparation, serving and drinking ofcoffee. —Elaine Pasquini

Yemen Peace Project Fundraiser

Marjorie Ransom invited guests to herWashington, DC home on May 31 for a pri-vate sale of antique and newly created jew-elry from Kamal Rubaih and his WorldFriend shop in Sana’a, Yemen. Ransom

wrote the first English-language book onYemeni silver jewelry, a masterpiece titledSilver Treasures from the Land of Sheba(available from AET’s Middle East Booksand More). Invitees were asked to bring acheck for the Yemen Peace Project to helpfund three Yemeni charities. Even those whowere unable to attend helped raise $7,400.The funds went to House of Light, run by

Sahar Nuraddin, which delivers food andnecessities to the needy in Aden; Yemenfor Development Foundation (YDF), a localNGO based in Sa’ada focusing on themost vulnerable, especially children; and

the Hemmat Shabab Foundation for De-velopment, in Taiz and Sana’a, whichtrains young Yemeni men and women todistribute desperately needed suppliesthrough tunnels and on back roads.The conflict in Yemen, the Middle East’s

poorest nation, has killed more than 3,500civilians, including 1,000 children, sinceMarch 2015. Another 6,200 civilians havebeen wounded, including 1,500 childrenwho have lost limbs or have been maimed,according to the Office of the U.N. HighCommissioner for Human Rights. Generous American donors try to help

victims of wars in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan,Palestine and other countries in the Mid-dle East, but Yemen is a challenge be-cause the country is misunderstood bymost foreigners. The Yemen Peace Project, founded in

2010, uses insightful commentary andartistic outreach, including an internationalYemeni Film and Arts Festival, to encour-age more understanding, as well as pro-moting a discussion of American policy to-ward Yemen. —Delinda C. Hanley

Event Showcases Gulf Poetry andCulture

The Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) brokeboundaries and stereotypes with a June 23spoken word poetry event at Busboys andPoets restaurant in Washington, DC. Theevent, titled “RIWAYA: Spoken Word fromthe Gulf,” featured three renowned poets:Afra Atiq and Salem Shukri al Attas, bothfrom the United Arab Emirates, and Fatimaal Haddad from Kuwait. Their poems’ sub-jects ranged from love and relationships, togender norms and cultural identities, toodes to the golden days of the ’90s.In one poem, Atiq playfully reflects on

the video game system of her youth. “Imiss Atari,” she says. “XBOX has nothingon it, iPad can’t compare with its worth, itwas better than Sega, PS 2, 3, 4, NintendoCube and 64 all rolled into one.”Other poems were less light-hearted,

such as Haddad’s poem titled “Cover Her,”which she elegantly recited against abackground of graceful oud music. “Do not


One of the displays in the “Coffee Break” exhibition at Istanbul’s Pera Museum.

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Marjorie Ransom (c) models Kamal Rubaih’s Yemeni silver for shoppers and donors.

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show those lips that make mountains fall,cover her,” Haddad said. “Let no thoughtswith her bright mind make noise, let onlymiracles from her womb bear boys.”According to AGSI’s website, the goal of

RIWAYA was to showcase elements ofGulf Arab culture and highlight the com-mon humanity of us all. “Arabic poetry isn’tjust about expression,” Shukri said duringthe Q&A. “It’s about bridging gaps andhelping people understand your message,because poetry is supposed to be contro-versial and polarizing and necessary.”

—Massarah Mikati

DIPLOMATIC DOINGS

Iraqi Ambassador on U.S.-Iraq RelationsThe World Affairs Council inWashington, DC hosted LukmanFaily, Iraq’s ambassador to theU.S., on June 1 as part of its “Am-bassador Series.” Faily, who hassubsequently concluded his three-year stint in Washington, ad-dressed pressing issues facingIraq and the world, Iraq-U.S. rela-tions, and his vision for the futureof his country.Ambassador Faily began by

stressing the interconnectivity be-tween the challenges facing theworld—namely, refugees, humanrights, nuclear issues and terror-ism—and those facing the MiddleEast. “We as a region have hadinternal issues which have hadramifications across the globe,”he pointed out, “so unless the re-gion is fixed, global challengeswill always be there.” Given this reality, Faily chal-

lenged the U.S. and the interna-tional community to do more toproactively address these issues,particularly terrorism. The U.S.,he said, must determine whetheror not it is willing to invest in de-feating the root causes of these

crises, or approach these issues with con-tainment as its strategy.According to Faily, it is more beneficial for

the U.S. to extensively invest in Iraq. “It isimportant that the stability of Iraq is seededin the U.S.,” he argued: “A) because of therichness of resources, which means an un-stable Iraq will significantly cause an issuefor all production. B) The epicenter of theregion has always been Iraq.”However, U.S. intervention has not al-

ways positively impacted Iraq. Faily raisedthe issue of the 2003 invasion multipletimes, saying the U.S. “did not do theirhomework,” resulting in many of the seri-ous issues Iraq faces today. Faily did indicate that there were some

positive outcomes of the invasion, how-ever, saying, “Iraqis now have the will tothink and the will to act.” He replied to anaudience member who asked if the U.S.should have ever invaded Iraq, “They didnot have this [will] before 2003,” under thereign of Saddam Hussain.Faily also addressed the possibility of di-

viding Iraq along ethno-sectarian lines, apolitical solution proposed by some in theWest. In his opinion, this would causemore harm than good, as determining fairborders would be nearly impossible, andsectarianism would not remain confined toany borders. “[You would be] destabilizingthe region, as well as making sure thatIraq cannot function together,” Faily said.“Iraqis coexisted together long before Sad-dam Hussain.” —Massarah Mikati


ABOVE: Salem Shukri al Attas; BELOW: Afra Atiq.

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Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S. Lukman Faily discusses the future of his country with JessicaAshooh of the Atlantic Council.

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Shell-Shocked: On theGround Under Israel’sGaza Assaultby Mohammed Omer, O/R Books, 2015,paperback, 301 pp. List: $20; MEB: $20.

Mohammed Omerbegins his debutbook by franklydescr ib ing the Israel-Palestineconflict as being“about economicand political pow -er: who has themost clout finan-

cially and militarily in the Middle East.”This honest and clear assessment dictateshis tone throughout the book, revealing hisastute awareness of the conflict and hisability to reflect the experience of Gazansin the 2014 Israeli assault on the besiegedenclave. Its endorsement by Noam Chom-

sky, Roger Waters, Rashid Khalidi, JudithButler, and Sara Roy is a testament to itsutility.

Shell-Shocked is a collection of short jour-nalistic pieces during Israel’s 2014 war onGaza by Omer, the Washington Report’saward-winning Gaza correspondent. The ar-ticles are presented chronologically, takingus through the main events of the war. (Thisreviewer would have preferred that the arti-cles specified the dates written, and wherethey were originally published.) As a jour-nalist, Omer’s notes reveal his critical atten-tion to international representations of thewar and the misleading language so oftenused to depict the conflict as a case of pureIsraeli “self-defense.”

Shell-Shocked also documents the per-sonal stories of Gazans attempting to sur-vive the war, told through Omer’s exten-sive and diverse interviews. His reportingtakes him to all corners of the Gaza Strip,meeting with civilians of all backgrounds.The book’s uniqueness is its stark, al-

most detached reporting style—as a jour-

nalist, Omer does not inject himself into hisstories, and the only real personal insightwe get of him is in the book’s short intro-duction. Yet his articles still smartly cap-ture the devastation that the war brings onGaza. In the end, Shell-Shocked portrays the

devastation, confusion and destruction leftby the Israeli assault, from loss of infra-structure to civilian death tolls. One of thebook’s greatest strengths is Omer’s docu-mention of the chaos of the aftermath ofwar, including illness, loss of property, lossof life, and displacement. He makes it abun-dantly clear that the suffering of Gazansdoes not begin or end with Israeli violence,but continues in a vicious cycle long afterthe bombing has stopped. Nevertheless, Omer ends on a positive

note, claiming, “The tide is turning towardsjustice and equitable peace. I know it is aslow process, and may take years, but itfeels right. Change is coming. And that is agood thing.” ■


B •O •O •K •S Reviewed by Kevin A. Davis

Kevin A. Davis is the former director of Mid-dle East Books and More.

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American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

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book-reviewomer_78_Book Review 7/14/16 7:10 PM Page 78


MIDDLE • EAST • BOOKS • AND • MOREThe Killing of Osama BinLaden by Seymour M. Hersh,Verso Books, 2016, hardcover,132 pp. List: $19.95; MEB: $16.What began as a series of arti-cles for the London Review ofBooks is now this award-win-ning journalist’s controversialnew book investigating binLaden’s death in 2011. Hershgoes on to examine other as-pects of Barack Obama’s foreign policy, including thewar in Syria and the rise of ISIS. The result is a damningcondemnation of Obama’s foreign policy.

The Turtle of Oman: ANovel by Naomi Shihab Nye,Greenwillow Books, 2016, pa-perback, 313 pp. List: $9.99;MEB: $8. The endearing storyof a young boy from Muscat,Oman who reluctantly movesto Michigan, leaving behindeverything in his life that he isfamiliar with. This great pieceof young adult fiction is thewinner of the Middle East Book Award and a relatablestory for any child who is a transplant, as well as agreat source for young readers of Arab customs andtraditions.

The Fires of Spring: A Post-Arab Spring JourneyThrough the Turbulent NewMiddle East—Turkey, Iraq,Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, andTunisia by Shelly Culbertson,St. Martin’s Press, 2016, hard-cover, 368 pp. List: $29.99;MEB: $24. The author, an ana-lyst at the RAND Corporation,conducted research not only incountries that experienced large-scale protests, but in adiverse group of countries in the region to explore someof the narratives and ideas that emerged during theArab Spring.

Guapa: A Novel by SaleemHaddad, Other Books, 2016,paperback, 358 pp. List:$16.95; MEB: $14. This debutnovel by one of the MiddleEast’s most promising youngwriters is the moving coming-of-age story of a young gayArab man trying to come togrips with his identity in acountry going through radicaltransformation. Rich with metaphors, the novel alsospeaks to larger ideas of political and social alienationconfronting so many millions of youths in their dailylives.

Time of White Horses byIbrahim Nasrallah, HoopoeFiction, 2016, paperback, 652pp. List: $18.95; MEB: $16. Thenoted Palestinian author’s lat-est epic traces three genera-tions of a family from a Pales-tinian village. Beginning in theBritish Mandate, each genera-tion struggles through a seriesof different colonizing forcesthat have lasting impacts on the family, their village,and the very fabric of tribal society. Nasrallah’s poeticwriting and captivating story make for a truly beautifulread.

The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, theIslamic State and the Evolutionof an Insurgency by Charles R.Lister, Oxford University Press,2015, paperback, 500 pp. List:$24.95; MEB: $22. Analyst Listerattempts to clarify the confusionsurrounding the war in Syria since2011 by examining the complexnetwork of insurgency groups cur-rently fighting the Assad regime and, looking beyondjust Syria, explicating the genealogies of these groupsand how they fit into the history of the Syrian civil war.

Library packages (list value over $240) are available for $29 if donated to a library, or free if requested with a library’s paid subscrip-tion or renewal. Call Middle East Books and More at 800-368-5788ext. 2 to order. Our policy is to identify donors unless anonymity isspecifically requested.

U.S. Shipping Rates: Please add $5 for the first item and $2.50 for each addi-tional item. Canada & Mexico shipping charges: Please add $15 for thefirst item and $3.50 for each additional item. International shippingcharges: Please add $15 for the first item and $6 for each additional item. Weship by USPS Priority unless otherwise requested.

America’s Continuing Mis-adventures in the MiddleEast by Chas Freeman, JustWorld Books, 2016, paperback,253 pp. List: $19.99; MEB: $18.In a sequel to his 2012 Amer-ica’s Misadventures in the Mid-dle East (also available fromMEB), Freeman details U.S. for-eign policy in the Middle Eastsince 2010, tracing America’sresponse to the Arab Spring, continued engagementwith Israel, and the rise of new superpowers in the re-gion such as China and Russia. Usefully, he also pre-scribes a set of policy solutions that the U.S. could adopt.

Saudi Arabia and Iran:Power and Rivalry in theMiddle East by Simon Mabon,I.B. Tauris, 2016, paperback,298 pp. List: $29.95; MEB: $26.Perhaps the most notable cur-rent rivalry in the Middle Eastis now between Saudi Arabiaand Iran. From Syria to Yemento Lebanon, this rivalry has hadserious consequences and cre-ated new political and sectarian dimensions. Mabon’snew book is the first to thoroughly investigate this newdynamic from the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the pre-sent.

Islamic Exceptionalism: Howthe Struggle Over Islam isReshaping the World byShadi Hamid, St. Martin’sPress, 2016, hardcover, 306 pp.List: $26.99; MEB: $22. Neverone to shy away from boldclaims, analyst Hamid daringlyexplores the large question ofpolitical Islam, astutely arguingthat Islam is unique in its rela-tionship between religion and politics, giving voice toprofound debates in the region over the basic concept ofa state and how it should exist. Truly a must-read.

Most items are discounted and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Orders accepted by mail, phone (800-368-5788 ext. 2), or Web(www.middleeastbooks.com). All payments in U.S. funds. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accept ed. Please send mail orders to Mid-dle East Books and More, 1902 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009, with checks and money orders made out to “AET.”

L i t e r a t u r e * F i l m s * P o t t e r y * S o l i d a r i t y I t e m s * M o r e

S U M M E R 2 0 1 6

S H I P P I N G R A T E S

book_catalog_79_August/September 2016 7/14/16 3:38 PM Page 79

Khalil Karjawally, 87, a Palestinian-Ameri-can businessman and president of Ella In-vestment Corporation in McLean, VA, diedFeb. 13, 2016. Born in Jerusalem, he, likemany Palestinians, came to the U.S. for hisuniversity education. After graduating fromMichigan State in Lansing, he earned amaster’s degree in economics at GeorgeWashington and American University. Hespent much of his career working in Iran,Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates andLebanon, but wherever he lived he neverforgot his homeland. Admired for his intel-lect, integrity and kindness, throughout hislife Karjawally generously supported Pales-tinian causes. He helped fund the educationof countless Palestinian lawyers, doctors,pharmacists and economists, believing thatknowledge would help build his homeland.A down-to-earth man, he always said he’drather spend money on people in need thanbuy a fancy filet or other superfluous goods.He is survived by his wife, Gamila, threedaughters, Kathy, Rana and Lina, and hisgrandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mohamed Abdelaziz, 68, secretary-gen-eral of the Polisario Front, died May 31after a long illness. He had led the Polis-

ario Front since 1976, fighting for the in-dependence of Morocco-controlled West-ern Sahara. He also served as the secondpresident of the Sahrawi Arab DemocraticRepublic, the government-in-exile basedin the Tindouf, Algeria refugee camp. Hissuccessor, Polisario co-founder BrahimGhali, was elected unopposed July 9, fol-lowing a 40-day mourning period.

David Lamb, 76, a foreign correspondentfor the Los Angeles Times, died June 5 inAlexandria, VA of esophageal and lym-phoma cancer. He was best known for hiscoverage of the Vietnam War, includingthe fall of Saigon in 1975. A critically ac-claimed author, his books include TheArabs and The Africans, detailed accountsof his travels in those regions and his out-look on their cultures. He also served asLos Angeles Times bureau chief in Cairo,Nairobi, Hanoi and Sydney.

David Gilkey, 50, an NPR photojournalist,died June 5 in Afghanistan, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the Afghan armyHumvee in which he was traveling. Alsokilled was Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghaninterpreter for NPR. Gilkey had traveled to

Afghanistan to cover an assignment withthe Afghan National Guard. A well-knownphotojournalist, he received the GeorgePolk Award in 2010, and was recognizedas Still Photographer of the Year by theWhite House News Photographers Asso-ciation in 2011. He covered conflicts inGaza, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Amjad Sabri, 45, a well-known Pakistaniqawwali singer, was shot and killed June 22by a motorcycle gunman in Karachi. Hecame from a family of qawwali-singers, atype of Sufi devotional music that has ex-isted for 700 years. Sabri’s uncle and fatherwere both famous singers; his family is bestknown for singing different renditions ofmystic poetry, also known as arifana kalam.

Abbas Kiarostami, 76, considered bymany to be Iran’s greatest filmmaker, diedJuly 4 in Paris, where he had gone for can-cer treatment following surgery in his nativeTehran. After winning a painting contest at18, he enrolled in the School of Fine Arts atTehran University, earning a bachelor’s de-gree in 1968. He began his film career in1970 with the short work “Bread and Alley,”which he made for the Center for IntellectualDevelopment of Children and Young Adults.He made his first full-length film, “Report,” in1977, often working in a semidocumentarystyle and using nonprofessional actors. His“Koker Trilogy” was set in the northern Iran-ian village of that name, which had beenstruck by a devastating earthquake in 1990.“Taste of Cherry,” his 1997 film, won thePalme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.Unlike many of his fellow artists,

Kiarostami chose to remain in Iran followingthe 1979 Islamic Revolution. “When youtake a tree that is rooted in the ground, andtransfer it from one place to another, the treewill no longer bear fruit,” he told Britain’s TheGuardian. “And if it does, the fruit will not beas good as it was in its original place. ■


O•B •I •T •U •A •R •I •E •SCompiled by Meghan Blizinski

Palestinian Medical Relief Society, a grassroots community-based Palestinian health organization, founded in 1979 by

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81AuGuST/SEpTEMBEr 2016 WAShInGTon rEporT on MIDDLE EAST AFFAIrS

AET’s 2016 Choir of AngelsFollowing are individuals, organizations, companies and foundations whose help between Jan. 1, 2016 and July 5, 2016 is making pos-sible activities of the tax-exempt AET Library Endowment (federal ID #52-1460362) and the American Educational Trust, publisher ofthe Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Some Angels helped us co-sponsor the March 18 conference, “Israel’s Influence: Goodor Bad for America?” We are deeply honored by their confidence and profoundly grateful for their generosity.

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Anonymous, Dearborn Heights, MIAnonymous, Largo, FLAnnonymous, Oyster Bay, NY Anonymous, San Diego, CAAnonymous, Somerset, NJRev. Fahed Abu-Akel, Atlanta, GA Shukri Abu-Baker, Beaumont, TXAglaia & Mumtaz Ahmed, Buda, TXDr. & Mrs. Salah Al-Askari, Leonia, NJAmin Almuti, Orinda, CAArthur Alter, Goleta, CAHamid & Kim Alwan, Milwaukee, WIAnace Aossey, Cedar Rapids, IA Robert Ashmore, Mequon, WISami Baraka, Wyandotte, MIRobert E. Barber, Parrish, FLEllen Baugh, Vienna, VAPeter Beck, Accokeek, MDSyed & Rubia Bokhari,

Bourbonnais, ILDr. Andrew Borland, Seattle, WACarole Brown, Stamford, CTWilliam Cavness, Falls Church, VAOuahib Chalbi, Coon Rapids, MNRobert & Joyce Covey,

La Cañada, CAA.L. Cummings, Owings Mills, MDTom D'Albani & Jane Killgore,

Bemidji, MNGregory De Sylva, Rhinebeck, NYDavid Dunning, Lake Oswego, ORKassem Elkhalil, Arlington, TX Hassan Eltaher, Ottawa, CanadaAlbert E. Fairchild, Bethesda, MDFamily Practice & Surgery LLC,

Eatonton, GAYusif Farsakh, Arlington, VAJoseph & Angela Gauci, Whittier, CANabil Haddad, North Wales, PADelinda C. Hanley, Kensington, MD*,***Walid Harb, Dearborn Heights, MIRobert & Helen Harold,

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Gerald & Judith Merrill, Oakland, CATom Mickelson, Neshkoro, WIYehia Mishriki, Emmaus, PAJoseph Najemy, Worcester, MA Sara Najjar-Wilson, Reston, VAJacob Nammar, San Antonio, TXKamal Obeid, Fremont, CA Dr. Bashar Pharoan, Timonium, MDBill & Kay Plitt, Arlington, VAJim Plourd, Monterey, CAPhilip Portlock, Washington, DC Barry Preisler, Albany, CACheryl Quigley, Toms River, NJOostur Raza, Gilroy, CAEdward Reilly, Rocky Point, NYPaul Richards, Salem, ORNeil Richardson, Randolph, VTSean Roach, Washington, DC Claude Ross, Washington, DCEdward & Alice Saad, Cheshire, CTBryan Saario, Edmonds, WAMohammed Sabbagh,

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Boulder, COKrista and Andrew Curtiss,

Herndon, VA**, ***Dr. Jamil Fayez, Oakton, VAClaire Bradley Feder, Atherton, CARonald & Mary Forthofer,

Longmont, CO Joseph & Angela Gauci, Whittier, CA Wasif Hafeez, W. Bloomfield, MI Sam Holland, North Eastham, MA Brigitte Jaensch, Carmichael, CA Tony Litwinko, Los Angeles, CAGeorgianna McGuire,

Silver Spring, MD

Henry Norr, Berkeley, CA Mary H. Regier, El Cerrito, CAMr. & Mrs. Yasir Shallal, McLean, VA John Stanford, Santa Fe, NMTexas Cardiac Center, Lubbock, TXLorie & Wilbur Wood, Vancouver, WA

BARITONES & MEZZO SOPRANOS ($1,000 or more) Anonymous, Washington, DC Zainab Abbas, London, UKPaula Allen, Naples, FLAsha A. Anand, Bethesda, MDKaren Ray Bossmeyer, Louisville, KYG. Edward, Jr. & Ruth Brooking,

Wilmington, DERev. Ronald Chochol, St. Louis, MOForrest Cioppa, Moraga, CA Linda Emmet, Paris, FranceDr. & Mrs. Clyde Farris

West Linn, OR**Evan & Leman Fotos, Istanbul,

TurkeyDr. & Mrs. Hassan Fouda,

Berkeley, CAJohn Gareeb, Atlanta, GAHind Hamdan, Hagerstown, MDR. Jacob Hikmat, Columbia, MDSalman & Kate Hilmy,

Silver Spring, MDJudith Howard, Norwood, MAMuhammad Khan & Fatimunnisa

Begum, Jersey City, NJWilliam Lightfoot, Vienna, VA Jack Love, San Diego, CAJohn Mahoney, AMEU, New York, NYM.F. Shoukfeh, Lubbock, TXDr. Robert Younes, Potomac, MD

CHOIRMASTERS ($5,000 or more)Patricia Ann Abraham, Charleston, SCHenry Clifford, Essex, CTDonna B. Curtiss, Kensington, MD*, **John & Henrietta Goelet,

New York, NYAndrew I. Killgore,

Washington, DCVincent & Louise Larsen,

Louvin Foundation, Billings, MTAhmad Salhut, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

*In Memory of Ambassador ClovisMaksoud

**In Memory of Richard H. Curtiss***In Memory of Joe Lill


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American Educational TrustWashington Report on

Middle East AffairsP.O. Box 53062

Washington, DC 20009

August/September 2016Vol. XXXV, No. 5

Iraqis light candles at the site of a July 3 Islamic State suicide bombing in Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood which killed 292 people. Prior to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, there had been no car bombings in that country.

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

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Documents

Washington Report - August/September 2016 - Vol. XXXV, No. 5