Dear USPC members and Friends,
On Friday, June 4, 2021 a few Palestinian Americans were invited to meet with Secretary of State Tony Blinken. In the spirit of transparency, we want you to know that I was invited and attended the meeting along with USPC board member Hanna Hanania.
I am proud to say that every issue one can think of was clearly and persuasively argued by the attendees of Friday's meeting. Among the issues I took note of at the meeting were: the latest Israeli assault and our demand for lifting the blockade on Gaza, the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, the repeated attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the utterly inhumane siege of Gaza, our strong objection to the recent Israeli $1b aid request as well as renewed US arms sales to Israel, holding Israel to account for its 54-year-old brutal occupation and its unabated expansion of settlements, as well as Israel's well-documented human rights violations including its enforcement of an apartheid system against its own Palestinian citizens.
Although the participants were not aware of who was invited beforehand, we all spoke with one voice, articulate and strong, and we were able to present our case forcefully and persuasively during the meeting.
The participants were fully aware of the grassroots work being carried out in our community. Despite the fact that we were invited to the meeting as individuals, we nevertheless made sure to emphasize the issues that resonate with our community concerning the unfair and misguided American policy toward Palestine and the Palestinian people.
Having said that, let me say that we value and honor the diversity that exists within the Palestinian American community as we continue our effort to build bridges of good will aimed at solidifying the intersection of our vibrant coalitions.
May we all be guided by our sense of brotherhood and continue to be inspired by our devotion to Palestine.
In solidarity,
Khalil Barhoum
President, US Palestinian Council