Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
Arab Center Washington D.C. hosts conference on Trump upending democracy and diplomacy April 9, 2026 Chicago, IL — The Arab Center of Washington D.C. has a power-packed program to address the dramatic international foreign policy changes and policies being pursued by President Donald Trump. Trump was inaugurated to his second term in January 2025, succeeding…
Jared Kushner tells it straight on Gaza and Iran at FII Conference By Ray Hanania Miami, Fl – President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a Special Peace Envoy for Gaza and Ukraine, acknowledged during a presentation at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Priority Summit in Miami Thursday, that he has been criticized by all sides…
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Ruzevich race for Congress showcases challenges facing pro-Arab candidates By Ray Hanania One of the few races that many people in the Arab American community were very hopeful about was the challenge to unresponsive Congressman Sean Casten in the 6th Congressional District by Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich, political consultant and deputy campaign manager Sawsan Abubaker said…
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American Arab Chamber of Commerce hosts Iftar with regional officials and community leaders More than 250 people attended an Iftar that was co-hosted by the American Arab Chamber of Commerce and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta on Thursday evening at the Bolingbrook Community Center. An Iftar is the evening meal served at sunset that signifies the end…
Dark money super PAC dumps cash into TV ads to influence 2nd Congressional District Illinois PRESS RELEASE — A dark money super PAC dubbed “Affordable Chicago Now!” which filed a statement of organization just last week and is believed to be funded by the right-wing group AIPAC, but has yet to disclose a single donor, has…
Challengers in Illinois’ 6th and 10th Congressional Districts Face Voters on The Lightning Strike Voters in two closely watched Illinois congressional districts heard directly from Democratic primary challengers on Sunday morning January 4, 2026 during a candidates’ forum broadcast on The Lightning Strike, the weekly progressive radio program airing on WCPT 820 AM Radio. The…
CAIR LDF, MLFA, SPLC and Akeel & Valentine Sue Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Over ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’ Executive Order Akeel & Valentine, CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF), the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced on Monday Dec. 15, 2025 the filing of a federal lawsuit challenging Florida…
Akram Baker remembered, worked at Orient House in Jerusalem with the late Faisal Husseini Obituary, 1966 – 2025 By Hady Amr Akram Ahmad Baker, 58, my longtime friend and colleague, passed away on December 11, following a valiant battle with disease. Akram was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1966 to Palestinian-American parents from Bir Nabalah,…
Illinois Arab Chamber presents “Best of the Best” awards honoring community leaders and activists The American Arab Chamber of Commerce honored 80 individuals for their contributions to the community during its annual “Best of the Best” dinner at the Orland Civic Center Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge, the event keynote speaker,…
The CMCC and the US-Israel Alliance: Collusion or Enforcement Mechanism? By Hanna Alshaikh The fastest route to Washington no longer runs through Tel Aviv, as the saying once went, but through Kiryat Gat, a small industrial city in southern Israel. On October 17, 2025, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) established the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) there…
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New Ninth District Poll Shows Abughazaleh Tied for First Place A recent independent poll shows Kat Abughazaleh tied for first place, with 18%. This independent poll was not sponsored by any candidate, making it the first of its kind to be released in this race. The survey of 568 likely IL-09 Democratic primary voters shows…
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Construction in the E1 Area: Preventing Palestinian Geographical Contiguity By Mtanes Shihadeh and Ikram Mohammed The Israeli government continues to exploit the post-October 7, 2023, situation to impose a new geopolitical and demographic reality in the occupied West Bank, alongside the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war on Gaza,…
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Ranking member Shaheen opening remarks at Nominations Hearing for key State Department positions Shaheen slams nomination of Amer Ghalib as Ambassador to Kuwait over his remarks regarding pro-Israeli exaggerations and propaganda regarding the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. WASHINGTON – Today, Thursday Oct. 23, 2025, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate…
Marquis Who’s Who Honors Khalil E. Jahshan for Expertise in Mideast Foreign Policy Khalil E. Jahshan is a distinguished leader in the field of foreign policy and Middle East affairs with a career spanning 45 years of dedication and is the Executive Director of the Arab Center Washington DC Khalil E. Jahshan has been selected…
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Arab America Foundation to host “Connect Empowerment Summit” in New Jersey The Arab American Foundation, launched in 2019 to educate Americans about the Arab identity and empower and connect Arab Americans, will host the “Connect Empowerment Summit” on Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe in Teaneck, New Jersey….
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ADC to issue awards for community leadership at Convention The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is proud to announce the distinguished recipients of the ArabCon 2025 Awards. ArabCon—ADC’s annual national convention—runs September 25–28, 2025 in Dearborn, MI, under the theme “We’ve Been Here Before.” The four-day program convenes advocates, scholars, elected officials, artists, business leaders, students,…
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Microsoft fires a Jewish worker for taking part in the “Liberated Zone” On Friday, August 29th, Microsoft fired a Jewish worker for taking part in the Liberated Zone protests that took place on August 26th. During this protest, seven now-former Microsoft workers and community members staged a sit-in inside Microsoft executives’ Building 34, while others, including the…
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Orland Park passes revised Gaza Ceasefire resolution By Ray Hanania After 20 months since former Mayor Keith Pekau rejected a Gaza Ceasefire resolution and told the Arab American sponsors that if they didn’t like it, they could “Go to another country,” his successor, Mayor Jim Dodge, pushed through a resolution that was approved by the…
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