Palestine the biggest concern for Arab Americans: Survey 

People gather for a rally held by American Muslims for Palestine calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the Washington Monument, Oct. 21, 2023. (Reuters)
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Updated 23 October 2024
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Palestine the biggest concern for Arab Americans: Survey 

  • Asked to place six key issues in order of priority, 26 percent said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is their chief concern
  • US economy and the cost of living are not far behind — each of these issues are the chief concerns for 19 percent of respondents

LONDON: Despite pressing domestic concerns in the US — including the economy, the cost of living and racism — the plight of the Palestinians emerges as the biggest issue for Arab Americans of all generations, according to a survey conducted for Arab News by YouGov. 

Asked to place six key issues in order of priority, 26 percent said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is their chief concern. 

However, the US economy and the cost of living are not far behind — each of these issues are the chief concerns for 19 percent of respondents.  

They are followed by racism and discrimination (12 percent), the state of the jobs market (8 percent) and crime (6 percent). 

Day-to-day pressures of life might well play a part. Seventy-two percent of respondents are in employment — 59 percent full-time and 13 percent part-time — with 10 percent retired, 5 percent homemakers, and 4 percent describing themselves as unemployed.  

Economics aside, however, the apparent disconnect in the poll between this dominant concern for Palestine, and the intention of 45 percent of respondents to vote for the clearly pro-Israel Donald Trump, is understandable, said Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. 

“Gaza and events in the Middle East clearly weigh very heavy on the mind of the average Arab-American voter,” he told the Arab News podcast “Frankly Speaking.”  

He added: “But at the end of the day, they’re American Arabs rather than Arab Americans. They have to vote based on bread-and-butter issues — the wellbeing of their families, the issues that impact them at home — rather than issues that have an impact overseas. 

“To me, that’s not surprising when you look at the profile of that community. So many of them are third- or fourth-generation American. Some of them don’t even speak Arabic anymore — they’re American first and foremost.” 

Although Palestine ranks as the issue of most concern across the board in the survey, “it didn’t surprise me, but was interesting to see, that the issue of Palestine isn’t as prevalent among Arab-American voters as one might think,” Joseph Haboush, a former non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute and Washington correspondent for Al Arabiya English, told the Arab News-sponsored “Ray Hanania Radio Show.” 

Read our full coverage here: US Elections 2024: What Arab Americans want

One reason is the community’s diversity — Palestinians, Lebanese and Jordanians are the largest groups. 

“I was born and raised in the US, of both Lebanese blood and heritage, and as a kid you’re just immersed in Lebanese politics,” said Haboush. 

“You always hear about the civil war and the role the Palestinians played, with some people casting blame on them, others not. 

“So it’s interesting to know that (Palestine) might not be as high a priority among Arab-American voters as anybody outside the Arab-American community might think.” 

Whereas the plight of Palestinians is the chief concern for 29 percent of Arab Americans aged 50 or over, only 21 percent of those aged 35-54 rank the issue first.  

For them, this still makes Palestine concern No. 1, but overall only 2 percentage points above the economy and the cost of living — perhaps reflecting the day-to-day domestic concerns of working people bringing up families. 

Palestine appears to be of most concern to Arab Americans in lower income brackets – 37 percent of those earning under $40,000, falling to 22 percent among those paid $80,000 or more. 

It is clear that the flames of indignation and empathy toward the Palestinian people still burn bright among Arab Americans. 

Overall, 36 percent said they, or someone from their family, have taken part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, although there are some clear differences among age groups. 

Only 6 percent of those aged 55 or older have taken to the streets, while the largest percentage of protesters is found among those aged 35-54 (53 percent) and 18-34 (44 percent). Fewer women (31percent) than men (41 percent) have taken part in protests. 

Palestine and domestic economic concerns aside, 43 percent of Arab Americans said they have experienced racism, harassment or hate attacks related to their ethnicity, religion or origins. 

In another finding that makes overall support for Trump seem puzzling, when asked which of the main presidential candidates they considered to be more sensitive to the national needs and problems of Arab Americans, 39 percent said Kamala Harris and 31 percent said Trump.  

Eight percent opted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, 12 percent did not know, and 10 percent said none of the above. 


Musk calls Trump’s big beautiful bill ‘a disgusting abomination’

Updated 04 June 2025
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Musk calls Trump’s big beautiful bill ‘a disgusting abomination’

  • Musk left his formal role in the administration last week as his time as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency came to an end

WASHINGTON: Elon Musk on Tuesday amplified his criticism of the sweeping tax and spending bill that President Donald Trump has been pushing fellow Republicans in Congress to embrace, calling it a “disgusting abomination” that will increase the deficit.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” the billionaire Musk wrote in an X post. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
The broadside comes as Trump pressures Republicans in the Senate to approve the legislation he dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” which has been passed in the House of Representatives.
Trump appointed Musk, the world’s richest person, to lead a government cost-cutting and efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the massive savings he had sought.
Musk left his formal role in the administration last week as his time as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency came to an end.


Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct

Updated 04 June 2025
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Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct

  • The proposal would allow agencies to refer misconduct cases to OPM instead of going through the traditional disciplinary process

President Donald Trump’s administration moved on Tuesday to make it easier to fire federal employees for misconduct, the latest step in a broader effort to overhaul the civil service and shrink the federal bureaucracy.
The US Office of Personnel Management published a proposed rule that would allow the office, which acts as the federal government’s human resources department, to direct other agencies to fire employees for conduct such as tax evasion, leaking sensitive information and refusing to testify in other workers’ disciplinary cases.
The rule would extend OPM’s existing power to designate job applicants as unsuitable for federal employment, to current federal employees, a change it said was necessary to hold government workers accountable to the public.
Federal workers have for decades been covered by an array of job protections, including the ability to contest firings by engaging in a lengthy administrative process.
The proposal would allow agencies to refer misconduct cases to OPM instead of going through the traditional disciplinary process. If OPM determines that removal of an employee is required, an agency would have five days to terminate them.
“Illogically, the government has far greater ability to bar someone from federal employment who has committed a serious crime or misconduct in the past than it does to remove someone who engages in the exact same behavior as a federal employee,” OPM said in the proposal.
The publication of the proposal kicked off a 30-day public comment period.
Since Trump’s second term began in January, the administration has moved aggressively to shrink the federal bureaucracy, including directing mass firings and layoffs and implementing changes to the civil service. Many of those policies have been met with court challenges and some have been temporarily blocked by judges.
OPM, which is closely linked to the White House, has played a key role in those efforts by attempting to give Trump more direct control of the federal workforce.
Many unions, Democrats and advocacy groups have said Trump’s various policies violate complex federal civil service and labor laws meant to regulate government employment and ensure that federal workers are insulated from political influence.
OPM on Tuesday said the policies agencies have followed for decades rely on overly cumbersome and restrictive procedures that protect misconduct.
“This arbitrary state of affairs seriously impairs the efficiency, effectiveness, and public perception of the Federal service,” the agency said.


Spain cancels contract for missiles built by Israeli subsidiary

Updated 03 June 2025
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Spain cancels contract for missiles built by Israeli subsidiary

MADRID: Spain has canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of 285 million euros ($325 million). The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, according to local press.

“The goal is clear ... a total disconnection from Israeli technology,” government spokesperson Pilar Alegria said, adding the government is studying “the effects of the cancelation.”

Israel’s Defense Ministry referred questions on the decision to Rafael, which said it wasn’t aware of the cancelation. Pap Tecnos, located on the outskirts of Madrid, did not comment.

Spain approved the deal on Oct. 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza. 

Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced with up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies.

Spain’s leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of Oct. 2, 2023, but there were reports that some shipments slipped through.

The US late last year opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain denied port entry to at least three cargo vessels reportedly transporting US weapons to Israel.

Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. 

A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top UN court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. 


Macron to visit Meloni after rivalry creates tension on Ukraine, trade

Updated 03 June 2025
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Macron to visit Meloni after rivalry creates tension on Ukraine, trade

  • Macron is a fervent pro-European who has had a long rapport with Donald Trump
  • Meloni is a nationalist with a strong transatlantic tilt who seems more ideologically aligned with the US president

PARIS/ROME: French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, seeking to improve relations amid tensions between the two European leaders over Ukraine, trade and relations with the United States.

Macron is a fervent pro-European who has had a long rapport with Donald Trump, while Meloni is a nationalist with a strong transatlantic tilt who seems more ideologically aligned with the US president. They have advocated different — even competing — approaches to the new Trump era.

Meloni, whose country has a large trade surplus with the US, has sought to keep Europe aligned with the US, using the slogan “Make the West great again” in a meeting with Trump in Washington in April. Macron has pushed for the EU to take a more independent approach.

On the Russian war in Ukraine, Meloni has been skeptical about Macron’s “coalition of the willing” and a Franco-British plan put forward earlier this year to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement. Sending troops would be deeply unpopular in Italy.

Hostility flared publicly in recent weeks, with officials close to Macron and Meloni privately or openly criticizing their respective initiatives over Ukraine or trade.

Meloni was criticized in Italy for not traveling to Kyiv with Macron and the German, British and Polish leaders on May 10 and then for missing a call with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Albania a few days later.

After Meloni explained her absence by saying the meetings were about sending troops to Ukraine, her government was furious that Macron said publicly that the meetings were about a ceasefire and seemed to equate her justification with “Russian disinformation.”

French and Italian officials said Macron had taken the initiative to hold Tuesday’s meeting and sought to play down talk of a rift, saying the meeting and a working dinner would be an opportunity for Macron to show “respect” and “friendship.”

“The president is available to all of our European partners, whatever the political persuasion may be,” an Elysee official told reporters.

The Elysee said the two would discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, the Mercosur trade deal and US tariffs, as well as industrial cooperation between the two countries, including Franco-Italian carmaker Stellantis, which appointed a new Italian chief executive last month.

Italian officials said the meeting was meant to “lay the foundations for a further strengthening of relations” and added that talks would also address the situation in the Middle East and Libya.

Both Italy and France are worried Russia might boost its presence in eastern Libya, to keep a foothold in the Mediterranean after Moscow’s ally President Bashar Assad was ousted in Syria in December.

“This Macron-Meloni meeting isn’t about rekindling Franco-Italian friendship. It’s about necessity, not nostalgia,” said Francesco Galietti of Rome-based consultancy Policy Sonar, saying the two capitals should find common ground on Libya “fast.”


French prosecutors treating Tunisian’s murder as suspected terrorism

Updated 03 June 2025
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French prosecutors treating Tunisian’s murder as suspected terrorism

  • Hichem Miraoui was shot 5 times by his white neighbor last week, in what police believe was a racist killing
  • It follows mounting concerns over hate crimes against Muslims in the country

LONDON: Prosecutors in France investigating the murder of a Tunisian man are treating the case as a suspected racist attack, The Times reported on Tuesday.

Hichem Miraoui, a 46-year-old hairdresser who had lived in France for 14 years, was shot five times on Saturday by his white neighbor, a 53-year-old named as Christophe B.

The involvement of counterterrorism prosecutors instead of criminal prosecutors in the alleged far-right killing is a first in France.

It follows mounting concerns over hate crimes against Muslims in the country after Malian man Aboubakar Cisse, 22, was stabbed to death outside a mosque in April.

In last week’s killing in the southern town of Puget-sur-Argens, a 25-year-old Turkish man was also shot but survived. The killer fled the scene by car but his partner alerted police, who arrested him.

Christophe B, a sports shooting enthusiast who carried gun permits, had earlier posted videos on social media declaring that he planned to kill foreigners.

He urged his compatriots to do the same, and in one video praised the late founder of France’s National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described the killing of Miraoui as a “racist act.” However, the minister was previously criticized for what anti-racism groups described as an inadequate response to Cisse’s murder.

Counterterrorism authorities were also questioned for failing to treat the Malian national’s killing as terrorism, with the investigation into the case being carried out by criminal prosecutors.

Retailleau on Tuesday visited the Tunisian Embassy in Paris to express solidarity with the community.

The Tunisian diaspora in France numbers more than 1 million people. More than 6 million Muslims reside in the country, about 10 percent of the population.

“Racism in France and elsewhere is a poison, and we see clearly that it is a poison which kills. Every racist act is an anti-French act,” Retailleau said.

Official government data shows that racist, xenophobic and anti-religious crimes rose by 11 percent in the country last year.

However, such crimes in France are also “vastly underreported” because “victims often don’t trust the police or the authorities,” said Jean-Marie Burguburu, chairman of the National Consultative Human Rights Commission.