I r o n i es Pl aced
By A seel W ash ah
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W e can al l r el ate to f eel i n gs of ap p r eh en si on i n th i s p ast el ecti on cy cl e. T h e n u m er ou s i d eas th at T r u m p h as p r om oted i n h i s cam p ai gn , h i s d i scr i m i n at or y st at em en t s agai n st M u sl i m s an d M ex i can s, h i s d i sbel i ef of cl i m ate ch an ge, an d h i s i n h u m an e t al k abou t w om en m ad e m an y w ar y. For m an y Pal esti n i an s, H i l l ar y Cl i n ton w as n o bet t er . W e w er e f aced to ch oose betw een som eon e w h o sp ou ts h at e abou t ou r p eop l e an d som eon e w h o w ages w ar on ou r f am i l i es. I , i n p ar ti cu l ar , am aw ar e th at th i s Pr esi d en cy w i l l sh ap e ou r l i ves f or ever . A s a bor n an d r ai sed A m er i can Pal est i n i an , m y con n ect i on t o Pal esti n e m ay h ave been th e d eal br eaker . I h op e th at on e d ay, I can v i si t Pal est i n e an d l ear n th e h i stor y of m y an cestor s f r om th e au th en ti c sou r ce, ou r l an d i t sel f . M y gr an d m oth er ?s stor i es w i l l on ly sati sf y m e so m u ch bef or e I star t l on gi n g f or m y h om el an d . T h i s p r esi d en cy i s ti n ged w i th f ear an d u n cer tai n ty. O n e th i n g i s d ef i n i t ely cer t ai n , D on al d T r u m p w on th e A m er i can p r esi d en cy. A n d as A m er i can ci ti zen s, i t i s i m p or t an t t o be both k n ow l ed geabl e an d cr i ti cal of th ose i n p ow er . Esp eci al ly as Pal est i n i an A m er i can s, w h ose h om el an d ?s f ate i s so cl osely i n ter tw i n ed w i th A m er i can p ol i t i cs. D on al d T r u m p h as con tr ad i cted h i m sel f n u m er ou s ti m es an d on cou n t l ess occasi on s. O n e m i n u te, h e p r om i ses n eu t r al i ty w h en d eal i n g w i th th e Pal esti n e an d I sr ael , an d t h e n ex t h e vow s th at n eu t r al i ty w i l l n ever be an op ti on . Ever y step T r u m p t ook t ow ar d s th e p r esi d en cy m ar ked a n ew an d d i f f er en t op i n i on on h ow h e w ou l d l ead t h i s n at i on .
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Som et h i n g th at i s esp eci al ly con cer n i n g i s D on al d T r u m p's son i n - l aw ?s i n volvem en t w i th th e I sr ael i occu p ati on . Jar ed K u sh n er i s acti vely i n ter est ed i n I sr ael . T h e ev i d en ce sh ow i n g th at h e su p p or ts I sr ael i s al ar m i n g. M an y r ep or ts h ave sh ow n th at h i s f am i ly 's f ou n d ati on cal l ed Charles and Seryl Kushner Foundation h as been an acti ve su p p or t er of I sr ael . K u sh n er w as l i sted as a su p p or ter of A m er i can I sr ael i Pu bl i c A f f ai r s Com m i t t ee (A I PAC) an d as a ben ef act or f or l en d i n g th e or gan i zat i on $36,0 0 0 . T h e K u sh n er Fam i ly ?s i n volvem en t w i th I sr ael i f ou n d ati on s h as r esu l ted i n th ei r f am i ly n am e d ecor at i n g a m ed i cal sch ool cam p u s i n Jer u sal em . Si n ce K u sh n er h as ?con n ect i on s? over seas, w h i ch ar e u n k n ow n to th e gen er al p u bl i c, T r u m p h as p r om i sed a v i si t to I sr ael . K u sh n er ?s con n ecti on s w i th A I PAC m ay str en gth en U S su p p or t f or th e occu p at i on . D ep u t y For ei gn M i n i ster of I sr ael , T zi p i H otovely, i s i n ter ested i n m ak i n g p eace w i th i n t h e M i d d l e East. H otovely bel i eves K u sh n er w ou l d be a sp eci al r ep r esen tati ve f or en d i n g t h e f eu d bet w een th e I sr ael i gover n m en t an d th e Pal esti n i an p eop l e. I t i s qu i t e a con t r ad i ct i on th at, on on e h an d , h e ad vocates f or I sr ael an d , on th e oth er h an d , h e i s bel i eved t o be th e n ex t U .S. M i d east Peace En voy. D u r i n g a con ven ti on , H otovely d ef en d ed t h i s statem en t w i th a con tr over si al p l an to bu i l d n ew h om es f or Jew i sh set tl er s i n I sr ael i - an n exed East Jer u sal em . T h i s m ean s th at th e con ti n u ou s str u ggl es th at Pal est i n i an s al r ead y en d u r e w i l l on ly i n cr ease th r ou gh K u sh n er ?s i n volvem en t. O n a p osi ti ve n ote, th er e h as been an i n cr ease i n aw ar en ess an d su p p or t f or th e Pal est i n i an cau se i n m i l l en n i al s an d th e D em ocr ati c Par ty. Si n ce th e star t of T r u m p's p r esi d en cy, Jar ed K u sh n er i s of f i ci al ly ser v i n g as a sen i or ad v i sor i n f or ei gn af f ai r s. O u r abi l i t y t o ad vocate f or Pal esti n e?s f r eed om l i es i n ou r p ol i ti cal aw ar en ess an d acti on s. I f w e d on ?t t ake a stan d an d becom e i n volved , Jar ed K u sh n er an d D on al d T r u m p w i l l h el p I sr ael m ove f or w ar d w i th th ei r agen d a. For d ecad es n ow, Pal esti n i an s h ave f aced con st an t op p r essi on f r om gover n m en tal f or ces. I f th i s el ecti on cy cl e h as tau gh t m e an y t h i n g, i t i s t h at t h er e i s p ow er i n p assi on an d u n i ty. I t?s ti m e f or u s to p u t th at p assi on to good u se. D esp i t e ou r n eed to be m or e w ar y an d cr i ti cal of p ow er , n ow m or e th an ever , ou r com m u n i t y m u st n ot l ose h op e. O u r con ti n u ed tal k s abou t Pal esti n i an r esi st an ce h ave n ot an d w i l l n ot f ai l u s.
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