By Haroun Amayreh
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, March 16, 2021 (WAFA) – The election of Rashida Tlaib, an American of Palestinian origin, to the US Congress in 2018, and her re-election for a second term in 2020, gave a strong push for several Palestinian Americans to run for elections in a number of leadership positions in the states in which they live in an effort to reach decision-making positions and influence public opinion in American states and cities.
Funding campaign and support committees from members of the Palestinian and Arab communities have become a launching pad for these candidates to compete with force for prominent positions based on their professional and leadership background, in addition to their community activity. Some of these positions have not been previously reached by any Arab or Palestinian American.
This year represents a great opportunity for a number of American candidates of Palestinian origin to win several leadership positions.
One of the Palestinian community’s members, Sam Rasul, from the city of al-Bireh in the West Bank, is going to compete for the position of Deputy Governor of Virginia, and he is a member of the State House of Representatives for the district in which he lives.
In the same state, Ibrahim Samira, who is from Jerusalem, is running for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Attorney Tahani Abboshi, from Beit Hanina neighborhood of Jerusalem, is a candidate for the Attorney General of New York City, and Anisa George is a candidate for the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.
The political and human rights activist and member of the Candidates Support Committee, Imad Sabah, told WAFA: "The growing awareness of the importance of political action has encouraged many members of our community in several states to work together collectively to motivate and support Palestinian candidates qualified for these positions in a step that reflects a bright picture of the Palestinian community in the diaspora and their strive to strengthen their presence and influence decision-makers in how to deal with the Palestinian issue."
Sabah pointed out that thanks to the support campaigns, members of the community now have a tendency to financially support Palestinian candidates and strengthening those who support the Palestinian cause, which contributed to the increase in the number of donors to electoral campaigns.
Activist and member of the Candidates Support Committee, Maher Abdulqader, explained that the initiative to support the candidates was previously an individual effort, but now it has turned into a collective effort and is made up of several activists, namely: Imad Sabah, Hanna Hanania, Manal Fakhoury, and himself, to support Palestinian and Arab candidates in their advertising and media campaigns.
Abdulqader added that this committee has succeeded in attracting a large number of businessmen and believers in the importance of providing support and assistance for the success of candidates in leadership positions and educating the supporters of the importance of their role in influencing future decisions in favor of members of the Palestinian community and their just cause.
M.K.
