The Idea of America is at Risk
By Dr. James J. Zogby I have long argued that the American identity was fundamentally different than that of most other countries in the world. While the identity of most nations has been ethnic-based, being American represented an inclusive idea that transcended ethnicity. For centuries we have absorbed peoples from...
By Dr. James J. Zogby It was back in the mid-1980's that Jack O'Dell, a long-time advisor first to Martin Luther King Jr. and then to Jesse Jackson, taught me a lesson I never forgot. The gist of his advice was that when struggling against adversaries to secure your...
Why the US “Workshop” For Palestinians Will Fail
By Dr. James J. Zogby Twenty-five years ago, I moderated the panel discussion on the Palestinian economy at the international economic summit in Casablanca, Morocco. I was there in my capacity as co-chair of Builders for Peace (BfP), a project created by Vice-President Al Gore to help grow the...
Irish Affinity for Palestinians Runs Deep
By Dr. James J. Zogby It is always gratifying to see the strength of Irish solidarity with the people of Palestine. This was brought home again last week during a visit to Ireland. While Eurovision was in Tel Aviv, a coalition of Irish Senators, non-governmental groups, and entertainers held...
By Dr. James J. Zogby Last week I addressed a United Nations Security Council meeting on "Israeli Settlements." Because I knew other speakers, experts and diplomats, would address the illegality of Israeli settlements, the economic and human rights impact on the Palestinian people, and the stated design of the entire...
Justice Prevailed
By Dr. James J. Zogby On May 9th, 2019, a jury in US District Court for Washington, DC found a former US diplomat guilty on 14 counts of threatening me and other employees of the Arab American Institute "because of [our] race and ethnicity" and "because of [our] efforts to...
By Dr. James J. Zogby I believe that it was Henry Kissinger who described his approach to running Arab-Israeli negotiations as creating the illusion of momentum to compensate for the lack of momentum. The goal wasn't the outcome. It was to keep everyone involved in the process. Adhering to this...
Bringing Light to the Darkness
By Dr. James J. Zogby Daily, we are inundated by a numbing and dizzying array of outrageous horrors and painful tragedies occurring both here at home and abroad. There are reports of: families torn apart by war, domestic strife, or callous authorities; innocent lives taken by cruel acts of...
Why I'm Glad Netanyahu Won
By Dr. James J. Zogby I'm glad Benjamin Netanyahu won reelection. Since I realize that saying this won't sit well with many folks, let me explain: As the election developed, it became clear that Benny Gantz, the leader of the opposition "Blue and White" coalition, for a number of reasons,...
Protecting Americans’ Right to Hear from the Leader of BDS, the Palestinian Non-Violent Campaign for Human Rights
By Dr. James J. Zogby I awakened early Wednesday to listen to a voicemail message from Omar Barghouti, a leading member of the Palestinian movement to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Israel. In the message, Omar told me that he was at Ben Gurion Airport and despite holding a valid...
