March 1990, Page 41

Arab American Activisms

By Catherine M. Willford

Arab Americans Support Dole Proposal on Foreign Aid

Arab-American groups praised Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole's proposal that the US reassess its priorities with respect to foreign aid allocations in order to free up needed funds for the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and restoration of democracy in Panama.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) sent an Action Alert to its 23,000 members, with postcards to be mailed to congressional representatives supporting the Dole initiative. ADC also urged its members to send mailgrams to Sen. Dole and letters to members of House and Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittees.

Calling Senator Dole's proposal a "courageous act," ADC President Abdeen Jabara cited Dole's allusion to the power of the pro-Israel lobby in the Jan. 16 New York Times article in which Dole advanced his proposal.

Jabara called for "a long overdue, serious and substantive national debate on the issue of foreign aid priorities." He added, "No country's aid should be sacrosanct and we feel that Senator Dole has broken the ice."

NAAA Supports Aid Cut for Israel

The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA), while agreeing with Senator Dole that the prerogative of foreign aid allocations should be returned to the executive branch, did not support his proposal for an across-the-board cut.

NAAA Executive Director Jawad George, in an Action Alert to NAAA members, said that four of the five top recipients of US assistance—Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and the Philippines—are populous, developing nations "for whom US aid is not a luxury, but a necessity." He pointed out that current US foreign assistance allocates $43 for each Egyptian, $11 for every Turk, $8 per Filipino and $6 per Pakistani, in contrast to $698 allotted for each Israeli.

"If there is to be a reallocation of assistance, this assistance must be from the rich to the poor, not from the poor to the poor, said George. "Clearly, Israel can, and should, absorb the largest percentage of cuts in aid."

The NAAA President cited other factors warranting a review of the present $3 billion given to Israel. These included Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's recent indication that Soviet Jews would be settled in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, which under the American-supported UN Security Resolution 242 would be returned to Arab rule. In addition, Israel's transfer of ballistic missile technology to South Africa, escalating human rights abuses against Palestinians and dubious activities in Columbia and Panama should, the NAAA director said, "by law, disqualify Israel from receiving any US foreign aid."

ADC Schedules National Convention

ADC will hold its 10th Anniversary Convention March 22-25 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Panelists include Richard Haas of the National Security Council, Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East, Jane Hunter, editor of Israeli Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Saud Nasir al-Sabah, Ambassador of Kuwait to the US. The keynote speech at the Saturday night awards banquet will be given by the noted South African peace activist Rev. Alan Boesak. There will also be a performance by composer/musician Marcel Khalife. For information, contact ADC at 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington DC 20008 or call (202) 244-2990.

Arab-American Press Guild Awards

The Arab-American Press Guild's fifth annual convention at the Midtown Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA focused on "Arab-American Press: Advertising and Marketing Strategies in the 90's." The AAPG, founded in 1985 by Arab-American journalists to assist the community's media needs and coordinate press issues related to the Arab world in the United States, may be contacted at P.O. Box 291190, Los Angeles, CA 90029.

AAPG Awards were presented Jan. 20 to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, for printing a daily US edition; editor-in-chief Kamal Belkasem of the Algerian Actualite Economic newspaper; radio talk show host John Simon; and free-lance journalist Pat McDonnell Twair.

Twair writes the monthly column "California Chronicle" for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Her articles also appear in The Middle East, London; the Gulf Times, Qatar; and The Arab-American News of Dearborn, MI.

She was a staff writer for the Long Beach Telegram and an editor for The Breeze in Torrance before returning to UCLA to study for a doctorate in archeology. She was the only self-employed American in Syria when she lived in Damascus for six years, reporting for the Jordan Times, The Middle East, the Gulf Times and the Financial Times of London Syndication Service, and is writing a book providing a humorous account of her life in Syria.

In accepting her award, she urged the AAPG to intensify its scholarship program for Arab-American students in mass communications because, for too long, Arab-American youth have been geared to study the professions rather than the arts or journalism.

New Travel Restrictions Condemned

NAAA has alerted members of Congress to potentially damaging effects of recent Israeli travel restrictions imposed on more than 11 Palestinian leaders from the occupied territories. Those banned from traveling abroad include Faisal Husseini, head of the Arab Studies Center, Sari Nussiebeh of Bir Zeit University, and Shaher Saad, the head of the General Federation of Labor Unions in the West Bank. NAAA Executive Director Jawad George asked that Congress immediately urge Israel to lift the restrictions, saying, "At this crucial stage of the peace process, Israel should allow those local Palestinians—who are soon expected to be negotiating partners—more, not less, freedom."

Fateh Celebration Held

Over 800 people attended a celebration commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the founding of Fateh. The event, held Feb. 4 at the Marriott Gateway in Arlington, VA, was a joint project of the Palestine Information Office and the Shabiba Committee.

Catherine Willford is circulation director for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.