Gutierrez stands with Palestinian activist Haneen Zoubi
U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez spoke strongly in defense of Palestinian Rights this week introducing visiting Palestinian-Israeli Knesset member Haneen Zoubi at a fundraiser for the Jerusalem Fund held on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017.
Attendees raised more than $100,000 at the event to support medical relief efforts for victims of diabetes. It was held by the Jerusalem Fund to help the Palestinian diabetes centers in Palestine al-Beirah, Nablus, and Hebron in occupied Palestine.
The event was held at the Alhambra Palace Restaurant at 1240 W. Randolph Street. Zoubi is appearing at fundraisers in several American cities including in Dallas. Nearly $1200,000 was raised last week organizers said.
Palestinian activists Moheyaldeen Dabbah and MK Haneen Zoubi at the Chicago event at Alhambra Palce which featured an appearance by Congressman Luis Gutierrez
Zoubi has been a member of the Knesset since 2009 and is a member of the Arab coalition of officials called The Joint List which brings together Arab Israeli Knesset members into one coalition speaking out in favor of Palestinian rights and against racism and discrimination by the Israeli government.
Haneen Zoubi poses with Chicagoland businessman Nemer Ziyad
Here are two videos of MK Zoubi’s speech to attendees:
In addition to events hosted in Dallas, organized by Dr. Eid Mustafa, and in Chicago organized by Naser Rustum, a third fundraiser was held in Washington D.C.
Below are brief remarks made by Congressman Gutierrez.
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.