Xenophobic Trump. 2025 will be a terrible year for Arab Americans

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 1.1.2025

It’s going to be a difficult year for Arab Americans as extremist Donald Trump returns to power with his xenophobic mind set. One place where his racist policies will be on abhorrent display will be those sycophants he places in power to implement his warped governance.

Israel will be given a free reign to continues its murderous assault against the Palestinian children, women and men of Gaza facilitated by outgoing President Joe Biden.

Bibi Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are responsible for the wanton slaughter of over 45,000 Palestinians. Killed in retaliation with American supplied weaponry since the Hamas attack on Israel killing over 1200 on October 7, 2023.

A Palestinian youth faces down The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 1.1.2025

Trump’s pro-Israel picks for key positions

There are voices like Khalid Turaani’s, an Arab American activist, warning that the situation for people in Gaza and Arabs in the United States would only get worse under Trump.

Turaani cited the selection of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the ambassador to Israel. Huckabee once said, “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Protests against Trump’s ban on travelers from Muslim-majority countries took place in airports around the United States

“When he says there’s no such thing as Palestinians, when people don’t exist, then there’s no genocide,” said Turaani. “You cannot kill or genocide a group of people who do not exist. I think throughout history when people commit genocide, they deny that those people existed.”

Israeli Defense Forces on the march 1970. Jerusalem – Postcard purchased by blogger Lee during a 3-month adventure in Israel/Palestine. Much of the time spent living in a hotel in the Old City (Arab section of Jerusalem)

Turaani said he was also concerned about Trump selecting New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be the US ambassador to the United Nations.

These are the type people Trump and his xenophobic flunkies seek to humiliate and displace.

A childhood spent in a camp for Palestinian refugees in Syria has made Turaani wary of Stefanik’s stance toward the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Stefanik has repeatedly expressed support for Israel’s decision to defund UNRWA and called on the US to do the same, as Trump did in 2018.

Uum Kulthum. Icon in the Arab world and inspiration for Palestinian people. During his stay in Jerusalem blogger Lee listened to Uum Kulthum while drinking tea in the Old City cafes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_Kulthum

https://www.dw.com/en/arab-americans-eye-trumps-pro-israel-government-picks/a-71062610

Liz ready for the Women’s March in San Francisco to protest Trump’s inaugural in 2017