Illinois Rep Rashid among those threatened by armed American Israeli settlers during pogrom in Turmosaya, Palestine
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has called for an official investigation into American Israelis who hold dual citizenship and who are involved in a growing wave of anti-Palestinian pogroms and violence. State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid sends letter to his legislative colleagues to detail his predicament in the threatening environment but to no response. Gov. J.B. Pritzker remains silent
By Ray Hanania
A gang of armed Israeli settlers, including many with dual American-Israeli citizenship, have been attacking Palestinians in the West Bank as a part of a nationwide pogrom to bully, harass and even kill Palestinians who are hoping for independence from Israel’s racist and apartheid policies.
The violence sweeping the West Bank has been basically ignored by the mainstream American news media, which is biased and pro-Israel ad foments anti-Arab and anti-Muslim stereotypes.
A particularly vicious pogrom took place last week in a village called Turmosaya in the West Bank that got some attention when the armed Israeli settlers began burning Palestinian parked cars, burning Palestinian homes, firing guns and throwing rocks at Palestinians killing at least one civilian and injuring dozens.
Among those surrounded by the settler street gang violence was a well known American and member of the Illinois General Assembly, Abdelnasser Rashid, who described in detail how he and others civilians in Turmosaya were being harassed and threatened by the armed settler street gangs.
I interviewed Abdelnasser Rashid, a Harvard graduate who was elected to public office in November 2022 and who represents the 21st Illinois House District, and I wrote two stories about the violence he found himself surrounded in.
But it is clear that man in Illinois, like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and many legislators, are trying to avoid the topic of criticizing Israel for any reason. Illinois, for example, has approved a law that punishes anyone who criticizes and boycotts Israel, part of a wave of laws passed in 35 American States — Illinois was one of the first to do so — that deny Americans the fundamental right to free speech.
Abdelnasser Rashid sent a letter describing his predicament to his colleagues in the Illinois House but for the most part, most have been silent. Had he been Jewish and the incident involved Arabs attacking and bullying Jews in Israel, the story would have become front page fodder for a renewed campaign of anti-Palestinian hate. Pritzker and many legislators would have stood up and demanded that the violence be recognized as being “anti-Semitic.”
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has called on the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. State Department to take action. But the Biden administration has been silent.
Here is the letter Abdelnasser sent to legislators. Click HERE to read the two-page letter.
Here are two stories I wrote about the settler assaults for Arab News Newspaper.
Click HERE to read first story.
Click HERE to read second story.
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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