The US media seems to view the conflict as related to religious and cultural differences and NPR is covering interfaith and inter-ethnic efforts in Israel and the USA. The Christian right in both the US and other countries is often very pro-Israel, but as is pointed out below, there are Palestinian and other Christian communities in the Holy Land and Christians and their institutions have been under threat throughout Israel's existence. Journalist Donald Neff gives several examples in Fifty Years of Israel (1998), page 199-205.
December 29, 1977, under the Likud government of Menachem Begin, Israel's Knesset made acts of proselytization, such as the "material inducement" of giving away Bibles, illegal, with punishment of up to five years in prison for missionaries and up to three years for converting Jews, though the law was supposedly religiously neutral. During the debate a legislator, Binyamin Halevy, called missionaries "a cancer in the body of the nation." The law went into effect April 1, 1978. Similar laws and efforts to prevent religious conversion in other countries in recent years have been condemned. Around the same time "moderate" Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef' called for the removal and destruction of the New Testament in Bibles owned by Jews. Apparently there were religious book burnings, as some rightists like to do in parts of the EU and USA today. Maybe Israel isn't a theocracy, but there are laws and actions like these.
In May 1948 churches and other religious institutions in Mandate Palestine, such as the Convent of Orthodox Copts, the Orthodox Armenian Convent, and the Orthodox Syrian Church of St Mark were robbed, desecrated, or used by Zionist military forces and clergy and women and children seeking refuge were killed.
These actions happened again during the 1967 war, for example at Jerusalem's Episcopal Cathedral, Lutheran hospital, YMCA, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Church of St Anne, said to be where the Virgin Mary was born. There was also damage to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. The Warden of the Garden Tomb was killed and shots were fired into the Tomb to try to kill his wife too. People, presumably Israelis, smoked, littered, and took dogs into churches, etc.
Jewish mobs attacked various churches and beat up Christian children at Jaffa's Church of Scotland during the 80's. After years of vandalism Jerusalem's Baptist Church was burned down October 18, 1982; according to Neff no one was charged and rebuilding was not allowed. Around December 25, 1983 in Tiberias Christians were again the target of arson and vandalism. There was another arson attack in Jerusalem January 11, 1984.
In 1995 Daniel Koren, 22, a Jewish soldier, shot up Jaffa's St Anthony Catholic Church, after attacking the Gethsemane Church in Jerusalem, without harming anyone there otherwise. He wanted to get rid of depictions of God.
During the current war there are again attacks on both Christian and Muslim religious institutions, noted below. Evangelical Lutheran Pastor Mitri Raheb in Bethlehem told law professor Khaled Beydoun that “We all [know] that within this generation, Christianity will cease to exist in Gaza.” Out of Gaza's 2.3 million people there are reportedly about 700-800 Christians, and 500 of them are under siege in the Holy Family Catholic Church.
According to Neff there were about 600,000 Jews and 200,000 Christians in Palestine in 1948, and about 50,000 Christians in 1995. Of the estimated 400,000 Palestinian Christians at the time the book was written most were away from their homeland, most living in the Americas.
Both the United National AntiWar Coalition and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee are also making year-end appeals for donations. The ADC is hiring for several positions. I made a few slight edits below:
UNAC: Stay in the Streets!
As the people of Gaza are facing a genocide planned and orchestrated by Israel, the US and its European allies are complicit. US bombs from US planes and artillery are killing the people of Gaza who have no way to avoid the horror. They are being forced to stay in Gaza as death comes out of the sky. It is a war crime to not allow civilians out of a conflict zone. It is a war crime to starve civilians to death, deny them water, electricity, and fuel. It is a war crime to bomb refugee camps, mosques, and hospital. These are crimes against humanity. Netanyahu is a war criminal but so is Biden.
[Event posters]
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UNAC supports these important actions:
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National week of action, January 1 – 7, [A New Year Without Israeli Genocide in Gaza] Stand with Palestine [End U.S. Aid to Israel!] [Initiated by SDS and two other groups]
March on Washington for Gaza, Saturday, January 13th, 1 PM [ANSWER and other groups]
Though it is impossible to keep up with all that is happening, Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has been publishing a world-wide calendar of actions in support of Palestine. That calendar can be found here.\
To add your Palestine events to Samidoun's list, send it here: samidoun [at] samidoun [ net].
End all US aid to Israel!
Open up the borders and end the Siege!
Free Palestine!
On Nov. 13, 2023, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a complaint, on behalf of Defense for Children International - Palestine and several other organizations and individuals, against U.S. President Joseph Biden, Jr., Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III. The CCR filed suit against the three for their failure to prevent, and their complicity in, Israel’s ongoing genocide against the plaintiffs, their families, and the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
ADC, along with partners, collected data and testimonies from Palestinian-Americans who are from, and with ties to, the Gaza Strip. Many of the individuals have had relatives killed and wounded by Israeli attacks, some have lost dozens of family members. Many have had their homes, businesses, lands, and overall livelihoods completely destroyed and wiped out. The brief also collected stories about Israel’s destruction of various sectors vital to Palestinian life and culture including education, health, financial, social, cultural, religious, and other sections. The brief also explains to the court how Palestinian-Americans, like their relatives in Gaza, and those stuck in Gaza are also experiencing severe psychological and mental harms from Israel’s ongoing genocide.
Abed Ayoub, ADC National Executive Director said, “This submission highlights the scope and scale of harms to Palestinian-Americans stuck in the Gaza Strip and those who are from, or with ties to, the Gaza Strip. We thank all our partners who contributed to this very important effort. We urges the Court to do what is necessary by ruling in favor of the Plaintiff’s and declaring that Biden, Blinken, and Austin failed to prevent, and are aiding and abetting genocide.”
As the genocide nears its 90th day, ADC reiterates the call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
There are a few days left to get in your end of the year donation to ADC, donate now.
Washington, D.C. | adc.org | December 25, 2023 — This Christmas morning let us take a moment to reflect on the ongoing genocide happening in Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus. As billions of Christians around the world celebrate the occasion of the birth of Jesus, the plight of the Palestinians, including Christians in Palestine today cannot be ignored. Since the start of the genocide Christians in Gaza have been systemically killed by Israeli Occupation Forces. Indiscriminate bombing by Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and destroyed many houses of worship, including a bombing of the third oldest church in the world Saint Porphyrius Church, killing 18 people.
In Bethlehem, Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus, Christmas celebrations have been cancelled because of the ongoing genocide. Bethlehem is under military occupation, surrounded by Israeli checkpoints, the apartheid wall, and segregated illegal settlements. In Gaza, Christians who sought refuge in churches are now under siege, many being killed by Israeli snipers and bombs. Moreover, over 200,000 Palestinian Christians in Palestine, and countless more in exile, live under Israeli apartheid, facing restrictions on their right to religious freedom and worship.
A reminder that Jesus consistently aligned himself with the oppressed, offering solace and advocating for justice against the forces of oppression. He actively sought to uplift and fight for those marginalized by societal injustices. As the genocide in Palestine continues, the embodiment of his enduring message is found in Palestinians today and will lead to a Free Palestine.
Merry Christmas from the ADC Family.
Guest post by Professor Khaled Beydoun is available on the Pen>Sword Substack. Click here to subscribe to the Substack for insight and analysis of the Genocide in Gaza, and important issues.
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Christmas will be celebrated by 2.4 billion people, globally, in the coming days.
‘Tis the season when pine trees are adorned with presents and ornaments, while downtown corridors in cities near and wide are illuminated with the lights and sights of Christmas.
Everywhere.
Except the birthplace of Christianity, in the heart of the Holy Land where the native sites of ethnic cleansing speak volumes about the hypocrisy of western nativity scenes. There is no Christmas revelry, this year, in Gaza.
As I pen these words, Christians in Gaza are facing extinction.
Christianity, as a whole in Gaza, faces elimination.
Only 700 Palestinian Christians remain within the Gaza Strip. A staggering figure, made even more striking by the statistic that puts the entire population of the besieged territory at 2.3 million.
Gaza, particularly its Zeitoun neighborhood, was a thriving center of Christian life. Only 120 miles away from Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, and the formative holy sites that pull Christians from all over the world in pilgrimage, it is absurd reality that Christianity faces complete erasure today.
But this is precisely where this genocide has brought us, today, less than a week from Christmas.
Despite this harrowing reality, there is no “outcry” from western Christian communities, enabling the onslaught to continue.
This is a silent erasure within a broader genocide. An unseen ethnic cleansing within an ethnic cleansing where churches and community centers, Christian homes and Christian life are being wiped out of Gaza.
“This community is under threat of extinction,” shared Mitri Raheb, an Evangelical Lutheran pastor from Bethlehem. “I’m not sure if they will survive the Israeli bombing, and if they survive, I think many of them will want to emigrate.”
On November 10, roughly one month into the crisis, Al Jazeera English estimated that only 800 Christians remained in Gaza. Across the faith’s array of denominations.
More than a month later, with the aggregate death count conservatively estimated at 20,000, one can assume that many if the people killed were Christians.
But the genocide in Gaza quickly dismisses the utility of assumption.
On Sunday December 17th, the holy day for Christians everywhere, a mother and daughter were shot and killed in front of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. The cold-blooded murders were captured by video, at the doorstep of the menaced church where hundreds of Palestinian Christians remained trapped inside.
Confined within a church, without food and access to the outside world, “fearing to get shot” and added to a death toll skyrocketing by the day.
My longtime friend, Fifi Saba, has family inside of that church. We spoke, against the bars of censorship via Instagram only minutes after those two Christian victims were killed, about her family. Her parents, family members, and friends among the hundreds of Christian captives holding onto to life, and holding onto the existence of an entire faith group, inside of that church.
“These people, my family and my friends, have not been able to leave the church for eight to nine weeks,” Fifi revealed. “Their homes have been demolished, and this is where the Christian community felt they would be safe.”
Sadly, they were wrong. The Israeli military has violated virtually every human rights standard during this crisis, including the blatant attack on houses of worship. On October 19th, the neighboring Church of Saint Porphyrius was bombed, killing at least eighteen people.
“500 people are inside of that church,” shared Fifi, a thought to be safe haven for Gaza’s Christian community that has become a killing field.
The vast majority of remaining Christians in Gaza are, currently, stuck inside of that very church. 500 out of a total 700 Palestinians Christians still living in Gaza, trapped within a historic house of worship that has become another site of an unholy genocide.
A place and people that the world has ignored. Erased from mainstream media coverage and headlines, and digital media pages and timelines, while these very spaces celebrate the very holidays that originate from their soil.
“We all known that within this generation, Christianity will cease to exist in Gaza,” shared Pastor Raheb.
A bleak outlook during the season of lights. But this season, across faith groups in Gaza, is a season of genocide.
In these coming days, the sounds and sights of Christmas will be everywhere. Online and in real life, adorned with the glee of children opening presents and worshippers congregated in churches.
But not for Palestinian Christians in Gaza. Trapped within a church and a land that may be their final resting place. And the final site of existence for a people, and an entire faith group in Gaza, facing the threat of permanent erasure.
This year, and every year onward until the ethnic cleansing is stopped, there will be no Christmas in Gaza.
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About Professor Khaled Beydoun
Khaled Beydoun is a law professor, author, and public intellectual. His work has been featured in top academic journals, and words featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC and more. He holds degrees from UCLA, Michigan, and Harvard.
Click here to subscribe to Professor Beydoun's Pen>Sword Substack for regular insight and analysis of the Genocide in Gaza, and other important issues.
BREAKING: Rep. Delia Ramirez [(D-IL)] Introduces Resolution Honoring Wadee Al-Fayoumi
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | December 20, 2023 – Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL, 3) has introduced a resolution honoring and remembering Wadee Al-Fayoumi. In October, the 6 year old was brutally murdered for being Palestinian. This historic resolution recognizes the loving and joyous light that Wadee brought to the world and calls out the dehumanizing, hateful rhetoric which motivated the violent attack on Wadee and his mother. ADC calls on all Members of Congress to co-sponsor and support this resolution, and urges ADC members to contact their representatives to demand the same.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “This resolution is a critical recognition of both the light of Wadee and a clear denunciation of the disgusting, dehumanizing narratives that drove his murder. It is one of the most uncontroversial resolutions that ADC has seen, and should be one of the easiest votes that a Member of the House could take. Hate has no place in America.”
Wadee, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, was tragically killed in Plainfield Township, having been fatally stabbed 26 times by his 71-year-old landlord. The incident occurred only eight days after Wadee’s sixth birthday celebration. ADC has partnered with nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump in representing Wadee’s mother.
Make Your Voice Heard! Tell Congress to Remember Wadee
Biden Must Stop Massacre in Gaza Church
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | December 17, 2023 – is calling upon the Biden Administration to take immediate action in order to prevent the massacre of 500 civilians and parishioners taking shelter at the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza. ADC is in contact with Arab Americans who have immediate family members currently in the church. President Biden, himself a Catholic, should understand the sanctity of a church, in addition to recognizing that places of worship are protected by International Humanitarian Law.
After weeks of a siege on church, including cutting off water supply, yesterday, the Israeli Occupation Forces began an attack on the church compound, which has been signaled as a place of worship since the beginning of the genocide. This morning Pope Francis condemned the attack and siege on the church. Already, Israeli snipers have killed mother Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar as they were crossing the grounds of the Parish to get to the convent, while shooting and wounding 7 other people as they tried to protect others inside the church compound. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said following the murder and shooting, “No warning was given; no notification was provided. They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the Parish, where there are no belligerents.” Israeli rockets have also rendered the Convent of the Missions of Charity uninhabitable for the 54 people with disabilities being cared for within.
The threat to innocent life taking shelter in a Catholic parish is very real, and part of Israel’s ongoing attacks against protected places, including places of worship. Since the start of this genocide in the Gaza Strip, Israel has intentionally targeted, attacked, and destroyed places of worship, including mosques and churches. Their attacks have killed innocent worshippers of all faiths, including Christians and Muslims. On October 20, 2023, Israel bombed the Porphyrius Church in Gaza, a Greek Orthodox Church and the oldest in the city, killing 18 Palestinians taking refuge there. On December 8, 2023, Israel bombed and destroyed the Omari Mosque, the oldest and largest mosque in Gaza.
Israel has made clear what Palestinians have been saying for decades, Palestinians, Christian’s and Muslims alike, are a target. It’s not a religious issue, it’s a settler colonial project.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “There is no justification for the attack on the Holy Family Catholic Parish, and President Biden must use his significant influence to stop another massacre before it happens. We once again call on President Biden to demand and implement an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, and ensure that those inside the church are protected.”
ADC continues to monitor the developments on the ground, and will do everything in its power to push the Biden Administration to call for an immediate ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid and access into the Gaza Strip, and to end the unlawful occupation and siege once and for all.
Standing Strong in the Face of Adversity: A Call for Support of our Artists [sent out December 16th]
Dear [ ],
My name is Jasmine Hawamdeh and I'm a Palestinian-American artist and the Manager of Communications at ADC. As an artist, my job is to tell the stories behind he statistics, humanize and amplify voices, and provide a new narrative rooted in compassion and love.
In recent times, Palestinian and Arab artists, along with their allies, have faced a distressing wave of attacks, both online and offline. These assaults not only undermine the artistic freedom that should be intrinsic to our sector but also threaten the very core of artistic authenticity.
Artists in our community have fallen victim to doxing and many have lost opportunities that were once abundant. This has left our artists facing an uphill battle to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
However, instead of succumbing to fear or intimidation, they continue to create and express themselves with unwavering determination. It is a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and borders.
Since 2021, I have worked closely with many artists to curate a list of cultural spaces that have shown solidarity and documented their stances in support of Palestinian and Arab artists.
By supporting these artists and the spaces that champion their work, we can send a powerful message that art is a universal language that transcends politics, religion, and borders. The art we, as Arab and Palestinian artists create serves as protection against erasure.
As a civil rights organization, ADC stands at the forefront of safeguarding fundamental freedoms, embracing a commitment that extends beyond the traditional realms of social justice. Which includes defending the realm of artistic integrity as a vital component of individual expression.
If you are an artist or cultural worker passionate about advancing civil rights and would like to contribute to our mission, connect with me at jasmine[at adc org].
Together, we can create a world where art is celebrated, cherished, and protected.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Hawamdeh
Artist and ADC Communications Manager
We are deeply concerned by the rank and purposeful misrepresentation of legitimate expressions of liberation and self-determination as “extremist” and “genocidal”, particularly when it comes from the halls of Congress. These mischaracterizations not only are false, but they dangerously vilify constitutionally protected political expression. In equating pro-Palestinian activism with hate speech, Members of Congress are setting a dangerous precedent that threatens the very essence of free speech and academic freedom. We have already seen manifestations of this dangerous approach and language particularly in the school system.
This hearing was neither the first nor the only attack on students and campus activism. It was simply an extension of a broader, troubling trend of McCarthy-esque tactics being used to suppress pro-Palestinian speech and activities. ADC is alarmed by the accelerating number of universities that have suspended student groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as by the suggestion by Zionists and their supporters to use “anti-terrorism” laws against students based on their political beliefs (a suggestion which harkens back to the racist targeting of the Arab community after 9/11).
Congress has intentionally ignored violence targeting Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students.
Arab American students, and those who support Palestinian rights, across the country are fearful of facing violent attacks, a fear only amplified following the shooting of three Palestinian college students. Doubling down on the targeting of these students, “doxxing” trucks on university campuses from Harvard to Columbia to George Washington are organized intimidation tactics aimed at making Arab and Anti-Zionist students feel unsafe. These tactics are used as a form of fear mongering aimed at targeting/utilizing/harping on existing antisemitic sentiments and falsely linking them to Pro-Palestinian activism by conflating it with antisemitism.
If Congress is truly sincere in its effort to fight discrimination on college campuses, the perspectives of Palestinian and Arab students must be included in any future discussions and hearings. Selective concern for some students at the expense of others contributes to the biased and widespread narrative that prioritizes one group’s certain experiences over another.
ADC remains resolute in our commitment to fight against hatred; we will not allow our students and communities to be bullied or silenced by disingenuous and dishonest tactics. Along with allies from every community, we will continue to advocate for free speech, the right to peaceful protest, and academic freedom on campuses across the country.
Washington, DC | adc.org | November 15, 2023 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is alarmed and deeply troubled by the hate expressed at yesterday’s Israel sponsored March in support of Genocide, held in Washington, D.C. We are alarmed by the strong showing of support and presence of supporters of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), a terrorist organization. The JDL is responsible for the 1985 bombings of ADC offices, one of which killed our Southern California Regional Director Alex Odeh, and the 2001 attempted assassination of Rep. Darrell Issa. This display came just one day after the New York Daily News published an opinion piece titled “Confronting bigots for Jew hatred: A new Jewish Defense League is what is needed”. It is revolting that any media company would allow for the promotion of a terrorist organization, but in the current environment of anti-Arab racism it is just par for the course.
In addition to allowing the antisemitic Christian Zionist leader John Hagee to speak, the crowd shouted down any speaker who dared to say that Palestinians were humans deserving of basic dignity. The estimated 20,000 who gathered explicitly called for the massacre of innocent Palestinians, with signs such as “Let Israel Finish the Job”, “Civilians Who Praise the Slaughter of Jews are not Innocent”, and “Many Gazans Civilians are Hamas In-Training”. Signs were waved that contained horrific and hateful stereotypes of Arabs, and in an irony that is completely expected from Zionists, many signs co-opted “from the river to the sea” to specifically call for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “The openness with which the JDL is being represented and promoted is a serious threat to Arab Americans, Palestinian Americans, and every American who stands up for Palestinian rights. The JDL and its ideology is a threat and must be rejected by all levels of government and all Americans of conscience.”
The Jewish Defense League (JDL) is a Jewish far-right religious-political organization in the United States and Canada, whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary". It has been classified as "a right wing terrorist group" by the FBI since 2001, and the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled it a hate group. The FBI has linked the JDL to various acts of terrorism within the United States.
Founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York City in 1968, the JDL's self-described purpose was to protect Jews from local manifestations of antisemitism. Its criticism of the Soviet Union increased support for the group, transforming it from a "vigilante club" into an organization boasting a claimed membership of over 15,000 at its peak. The JDL took to bombing Arab and Soviet properties in the United States, and targeting various alleged "enemies of the Jewish people", ranging from Arab-American political activists to neo-Nazis, for assassination. A number of JDL members have been linked to violent, and sometimes deadly, attacks in the United States and in other countries.
Washington, D.C. | adc.org | November 9, 2023 – Earlier today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) received disturbing information about hate fueled comments made by Cleveland Cavaliers co-owner Gary Gilbert. The comments, made online, are anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, Islamaphobic, anti-Black and homophobic. In his posts, Gilbert regularly advocates for violence against Arab and Palestinian Americans. After thorough investigation we have authenticated that these messages did come from Gilbert's social media accounts. Gary Gilbert is the brother of Dan Gilbert, co-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and founder of Rocket Mortgage.
ADC has reached out to the office of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and demanded that he take immediate action. ADC has called on Commissioner Silver to issue a condemnation of the comments and suspend Gilbert from all NBA arenas for the safety of Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim spectators in attendance. In addition, we called on commissioner Silver to trigger the process to force Gilbert to sell his stake of ownership of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gilbert, who has openly advocated violence against those expressing support for Palestine, has made statements such as, "we're armed and ready for you punks," and has stated that college students advocating for Palestine, "just need a good punch in the face." He has also made anti-Black and homophobic comments about the first Black and openly Queer White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, calling her “disgusting."
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, "Discrimination and racism in all of their forms have no place in sports. As a global game, the NBA has a responsibility to denounce hate speech and ensure that anyone affiliated with the association adheres to its commitment to social justice. After the Donald Sterling controversy, it is disheartening to see that some of those in ownership positions still hold bigoted and hatful views."
Cleveland, Ohio has a significant Arab population, making Gilbert’s comments a pressing concern that hits close to home for many. The implications are dire for the safety of Arab, Palestinian and Muslim Americans attending NBA games and related events. The staggering surge in hate crimes across the country has created an environment of unease, making Gilbert's racist rhetoric a real threat that casts a dark shadow over the spirit of sport.
ADC will committed to fighting all forms of hate, if you are a victim of a hate-crime, contact legal [at adc org].
Washington D.C. | www.adc.org | November 8, 2023 - Today, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), along with over 100 lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden urging him to designate Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and/or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Palestinians present in the United States [the ADC and around 100 organizations requested November 17th that the government act on the Congressional letter].
Tens of thousands of ADC members from across the country contacted their Congressional members over the past three days demanding TPS for Palestine. In addition, ADC has been working closely with attorneys and community members from the Greater Chicago Area, and the office of Senator Durbin on this request. A broad coalition of over 30 partner organizations signed on to support the request. The letter was endorsed by over 20 Senators, and over 80 Representatives. A copy of the request can be found here.
Designating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/ or Deferred Enforced Departure will provide humanitarian relief for Palestinians in the United States. TPS and DED designations offer short-term humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who cannot return to their homes due to environmental crises, armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions. This request is in line with President Biden’s commitment to protecting Palestinians' lives and his public statement condemning xeno-racism and islamophobia.
Abed Ayoub, Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) says, “We thank the leadership of Senator Durbin, Congresswoman Jayapal, and Congresswoman Schakowsky. Given the war on Gaza and the devastation, the granting of TPS and/or DED for Palestinians in the U.S. is necessary. We urge the administration to take quick action and grant this request so we can ensure the protection of Palestinians currently in the country.”
Later this week ADC will be submitting a formal request to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on behalf of a broad range of community partner organizations. If you or someone you know is in need of immigration help or support please contact the ADC Legal Department to legal [at adc org].
*A previously issued version of this statement contained minor errors which have been corrected.
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | November 7, 2023 – It is unconscionable that the House of Representatives, including 22 Democrats joined together with almost all Republicans, voted to censure Rep. Tlaib this evening. Make no mistake – Rep. Tlaib was censured simply for speaking up and calling out Israel for its ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. The willful dismissal of reality by many members, and single-minded focus on defending and justifying the indefensible led to outright lies and vicious attacks being made against Rep. Tlaib.
This action tonight is yet another example of Palestinians being targeted, harassed and silenced not just on school campuses, in the work place, and on social media, but also at the highest level of government. This censure also constitutes an attack on free speech and has established a shameful precedent of punishing Members who stand up for basic human dignity.
As Congress tries to redefine chants, fetishize over Palestinian youth and student groups, and fight over who is the “stronger” defender of an apartheid state, over 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel, thousands of those victims are children. That number is sure to grow exponentially as it does not account for those still buried under the rubble. Nor does it include the number of those who are dying from dehydration, starvation, disease, as a lack of clean water, electricity and medical supplies takes its toll. The UN Secretary- General said that the Gaza Strip was becoming “a graveyard for children.”
We know we have a true champion and fighter in Rep. Tlaib. This vote will not silence her, nor will it silence the community. We will continue to stand alongside Rep. Tlaib, loudly calling out all aggressions by Israel, and fighting for a free Palestine.
Dear ADC community members and friends,
We are writing to you with grief and terror that cannot be metabolized, especially as we continue to watch the unfolding atrocities in the Gaza Strip and across Palestine. As we work hard to protect our community against harassment and discrimination across all domains of their life, we also want to communicate the growing concern we have for the mental wellbeing of our community during this extreme time of duress. We know from many of you that our community is hurting, that we feel terrorized in the present, and that we are scared for the future. Many of us are experiencing significant pain and anguish and we want to offer support the best way we can.
While many of us may feel more connected with our communities and find comfort in a unified struggle for our dignity and self-determination, we want to also acknowledge that our community is really struggling, experiencing worries that are similar to the immediate aftermath of 9/11. We have begun working with a team of Arab and Arab American mental health professionals who have helped us understand the most common symptoms or struggles so that we can communicate with you and offer additional support, including mental health webinars and resources in Arabic and English.
With their guidance, we want to normalize that it is nearly impossible for our community to watch a genocide be inflicted on the Gaza Strip, see the unprecedented loss of life, bear witness to heinous war crimes, and also fear for our own safety and that of our children, without feeling mentally and physically drained. This is especially the case when we feel mainstream media has continued to downplay the violence, erase Palestinian and Arab voices, or worse, support an entirely decontextualized, dehistoricized and dehumanizing narrative about our people. This approach by the media contributes to what many of us may have heard referred to as “gaslighting”--the act of making someone feel confused or even “crazy” about reality due to persistent, and oftentimes violent, reality-bending.
We have also heard how common it has been to feel unable to look away from social media or turn off the news. We understand that for many, engaging in daily activities has become more difficult. This can include difficulty focusing on basic tasks that once felt simple, difficulty concentrating for long periods of time, difficulty completing mundane tasks and/or “spacing out” for long periods of time, or difficulty following even casual conversations without being distracted. Some have shared that they feel hopeless or helpless, while others share that they feel guilty any time they can eat, sleep, or enjoy free time while those suffering in Gaza and other parts of Palestine cannot. Depending on how closely we have ties to Gaza, especially, these experiences can even feel entirely debilitating, cause panic attacks, flash backs, nightmares or even suicidal ideation. In addition to this, many in our community are experiencing significant fear and anxiety related to being targeted in their schools, in their workplaces, and in the street.
These fears and experiences are not exaggerated, they are not “in your head”, and they are not signs of paranoia. They are very real because it is a scary and dangerous time to be Palestinian and Arab in the United States. It is important for us to name this openly, not to scare you, but to make sure our community knows that we understand the fear and the dread and to remind you that you are not alone.
While we wish we could immediately reduce the unnecessarily cruel suffering our community is experiencing, we acknowledge that the reverberations may realistically last for quite some time. In order to best support our community during this time, we are setting up a series of webinars that will address mental health, allowing community members to submit questions anonymously ahead of time. We feel this is an important step so that our community can have the space to talk about how they are feeling, what they are struggling with, and, importantly, ask questions to mental health professionals who know our community well.
In the meantime, if you are in need of ADC's assistance whether on campus, in the workplace and/or would like to report a hate crime, please contact legal [at adc org].
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